Blind Ambition
by IdPattThat
Summary: He didn't know his life was missing anything…until he met her. Out of sight doesn't necessarily mean out of mind.
1. Chapter One

**Yeah, I don't really know what's going on here either. Stephenie Meyer owns all names and people and things, I own the rest. There's a special place in heaven for Capricorn75 for walking me through some whiny emails and also to killerlashes, who is basically the Hermione to my Harry. **

**This WILL BE and Edward/Leah story. I just need you to know that if you decide to take this journey. :) **

**Thanks for reading! **

* * *

**He didn't know his life was missing anything…until he met her. **

**Out of sight doesn't necessarily mean out of mind. **

Blind Ambition – Chapter One

Edward tapped his fingers anxiously on the arm of his wheelchair, blowing out a sigh. He was tired of sitting, tired of the awkward conversations explaining how he ended up in it. Most of all, he was tired of feeling helpless. Edward wanted his life back…and maybe some of his dignity, too.

"Here, I brought you some disgusting coffee from the waiting area." His best friend and current chauffeur, Jasper, tapped him on the forearm and carefully handed him a paper cup.

Edward smelled the coffee and then sipped it tentatively, hearing Jasper's laughter at the face he made.

"It's like sludge," Edward managed to choke out. "How could you do that to a guy? Seriously, you're such a-"

"Oh, someone should have warned you about the coffee," a voice said from behind him, cutting off whatever insult he had. Edward turned toward it, hearing her movement as the scent of vanilla floated toward him. It was a nice, feminine scent that gave him part of a mental image of what the doctor looked like. The other part he made up on his own: tall, leggy, and blonde...just for fun.

"It's pretty powerful," he said while trying to hand the cup back to Jasper.

"I did tell him it was disgusting, you know," Jasper threw out.

"Our head nurse isn't the best at making coffee, but she insists on doing it every day. No one has the heart to tell her how awful it is," the doctor said as she stepped into the room fully and closed the door. Her voice was soft but commanding, like she had no trouble putting people in their places.

"Maybe someone should," Jasper muttered from beside Edward. Edward rolled his eyes behind his designer sunglasses and shook his head at his friend.

The doctor laughed, and Edward heard her move toward him. "I'm Dr. Clearwater," she said, holding out her hand. She watched as the blond man touched her patient's arm and how he automatically lifted his hand to shake hers.

"Edward Cullen. This poor bastard is my brother-in-law and caregiver for the day, Jasper."

"Nice to meet you both. I've gone over your file, Edward, and have started working on a plan for your recovery. Can you tell me a little about your car accident?"

Jasper laughed a cough and Edward turned his head toward his friend.

"It was more of a…vehicular assault," Edward replied with a small smile.

Dr. Clearwater glanced between Edward and his friend, confused.

"He was crossing the street and got hit by a teenager who ran a red light," Jasper explained.

"You could say I didn't see her coming." Edward grinned and tapped on his wayfarers with one finger.

"You're such an asshole," his friend muttered, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling.

"Am I missing something?" Dr. Clearwater asked, trying not to smile.

"I'm legally blind, doctor. My friend here thinks I walked into traffic on purpose, but I'm not _that_ desperate to die," Edward said with a slight shrug.

"Oh. I must've missed that in your charts..." she muttered to herself.

"It's okay. I say legally because I can still see shadows and shapes, but eventually I'll be completely blind and-" he cut off when Jasper's hand gently squeezed his shoulder. Most people weren't comfortable talking about their defects, but sometimes Edward simply had a problem _shutting up_. "Sorry, I get carried away," he said sheepishly with a nod toward his friend.

Jasper sighed and stood, taking the hint and clapping Edward on the shoulder before exiting the room.

"What I'm really interested in is getting out of this chair," Edward told the doctor once he heard the door close. "I'm getting married in six months and I plan on walking down the aisle, not rolling."

Dr. Clearwater smiled. "Well, you've come to the right place. Can you get you up on the table? That way I can see what I'm working with."

Edward gave a quiet chuckle and slowly lifted himself from his chair. It was painful, but he pushed through. Dr. Clearwater took his elbow and led him to the exam table, guiding him to sit. She rested her hand on his knee, just as there was a knock on the door. It swung open, and they both turned as a slim brunette rushed into the room.

"There you are, sweetie!" She bustled into the room and rushed to Edward, kissing his cheek and pulling the sunglasses off his face, revealing a pair of bright green eyes. He blinked quickly and grabbed her hand, and then she turned quickly to the doctor.

"I'm Bella, Edward's fiancée. We've heard great things about your practice," she said as she turned to Dr. Clearwater.

"Leah Clearwater. I have high hopes for Edward's recovery…as soon I can get my hands on him."

Bella's eyes widened, but she stepped away. Leah stepped forward and began asking Edward questions, running her hands over his legs, bending his knees, while he sat stoically, breathing deeply and trying hard not to wince.

"You _are _a doctor…right?" Bella asked while she watched Leah manhandle her fiancé.

"I have a doctorate in physical therapy," Leah answered, not looking away from Edward. "Which is why you chose me, I assume."

Bella made a noncommittal noise, which caused Edward to smile. She was cute when she was jealous.

"I'd like to set up a schedule today, so we can begin as soon as possible. Are you able to do that?" Leah asked, and Edward nodded.

"I own my own business, so I'm pretty flexible. It's just the matter of finding a ride…"

"We have services that can bring you to and from therapy, if needed," Leah explained.

"I'm sure we'll work something out, baby," Bella told him, rubbing his shoulder gently.

"Okay!" Leah said brightly. "Let me get some things together and I'll meet the two of you in my office. Down the hall, second door on the left." She left the room quickly and Bella helped Edward slip from the table and back into his chair.

"She's pretty," Bella observed as they made their way down the hall.

"I wouldn't know," Edward teased, and she shoved his shoulder.

"Jerk," she muttered.

He shrugged. "Just being honest."

"Yeah, you just better watch it, playboy."

"I'll do my best, sweetheart," Edward replied with a laugh, fully intending to be on his best behavior. He'd meant what he told Dr. Clearwater: he was going to walk down the aisle, and she was going to be the one to make it happen for him, that he knew for sure.


	2. Chapter Two

***insert witty disclaimer here* I don't own these guys. **

**Thanks to Capricorn75 and killerlashes. They're pretty. **

**Thanks to you for reading, I'm so stoked. **

**Chapters are a little short right now, but I'm working on getting to know these guys. Hope that helps. :)**

* * *

Blind Ambition - Chapter Two

"Hey, Jas?"

"Yeah?" Edward heard Jasper's reply from the other side of the music store he owned.

"What's Dr. Clearwater look like?" he asked in a rush.

"Are you kidding me?" Jasper's voice was closer now, and Edward laughed.

"No. Bella said she was pretty, and I want to know what that means."

"Well…I'd say _pretty_ is an understatement. Before I go any further please know that I am one hundred percent committed to your sister-"

"Dude, just tell me what she fucking looks like," Edward interrupted and he heard the flutter of pages a music book flew across the room at him."Sure, throw things at the blind guy, you asshole."

"She was tall. Short dark hair, brown eyes. Darker than Bella's."

"Go on…"

"I think she was Native American, pretty skin." Jasper shrugged.

"That's it?"

"Great tits," his friend added.

"I'll have to mention that to Alice," Edward joked.

"I hate you."

"Yeah, I know." The bell over the door rang, ultimately ending their conversation as Jasper went to help a customer and Edward found his way to the piano he kept in a side room used for lessons. His fingers found the keys easily. After he'd lost his sight Edward was most afraid of losing his music, but he never did. He studied Braille, learned different ways to read and listen to music, and managed to hold on to what he loved.

He was even able to continue to give lessons. Of course, now that he was confined in a wheelchair it was more difficult. It had been three months since his accident, and it seemed to be a little easier every single day. He had a good routine and a lot of help, but he really, _really_ wanted to get out of that chair.

And maybe be able to stand up to pee without all the pain that was involved with his injury.

Edward had just reached a crescendo of notes when Jasper interrupted him.

"Hey, Liberace, your five o'clock is here," he called into the little room. Edward aimed a glare at his friend underneath the sunglasses he always wore, but made his way to the front of the store anyways. The glasses were really just for show anyways. He could still see shadows and movement, but not colors or anything definitive. It was more a defense mechanism than anything else; he hated when people tried to make eye contact with him and realized he was incapable of actually returning it…it made him feel like an asshole.

"Hey, Jenny," Edward greeted a his young client. A skinny, little blonde girl, as Jasper described her, who liked to play soccer and talk about her new puppy. "See you at six, Mrs. Tanner."

"I practiced every day, Mr. Edward," Jenny said as she settled herself on the bench.

"Oh, yeah? You know you're going to have to prove it…" he teased and she giggled.

"I know, I know."

As it turned out, she _had _practiced, so Edward rewarded her with a duet of Chopsticks that they laughed their way through until her mother arrived to pick her up promptly at six. Edward could hear Bella in the shop as Jenny and her mother left, so he went to her quickly.

"Are you ready?" she asked, running a hand through his hair and bending down to kiss the top of his head.

"Yeah, Jas can lock up, right?"

"Of course," Jasper sighed, but Edward knew he didn't mind. In the years since Edward had lost his sight, Jasper had stepped up just as much as the rest of his family to help out, even quitting his job to help run the store and take over some of Edward's students.

"See you tomorrow, you cheery bastard," Edward called and he and Bella left the store.

At home Bella was quiet, like she had been since the accident. It was strange, because in public she played the doting fiancée very well, but when they were alone she was withdrawn. Sometimes they would go all night without speaking. Edward knew it was a lot to take on, especially for an independent woman like Bella. She had her career and her friends…and now she had a blind _and_ crippled boyfriend.

Not to mention that they hadn't been...intimate since before the accident.

But Bella assured him that she didn't mind. She joked that maybe they would wait until their wedding night, and he vehemently told her _no_. He knew the change was hard on her, though. She, like Jasper, had been there when he'd lost his sight and had helped him through it. Now sometimes it felt like he was asking too much from her.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" she'd asked after they finished dinner and cleaned up.

"I'm fine, Bella. Come sit with me," he said as he patted the space next to him.

"I have some work to do…" Bella muttered and tried to walk away.

"Please?" Edward asked quietly, sticking out his bottom lip.

She laughed and took his outstretched hand. "Okay, you big baby."

He smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his neck, settling against him.

"I know this is hard for you," he whispered to her hair and heard her sigh. "But we'll get through it. I promise."

"I know we will," she replied before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I know."

Edward knew she meant to be sincere, but he could hear the tiniest bit of doubt in her voice and, sometimes, he really hated that he was so in tune with his other senses.


	3. Chapter Three

**Hi! Thanks again to my lovely ladies who help me out. And thanks to you, of course. xoxo**

* * *

Blind Ambition - Chapter Three

"Oh, _God_," Edward groaned. "Is it going to be like that every time?"

Leah laughed breathlessly. "If you're lucky," she said, taking his arm and handing him a towel.

"Worse or better?"

"Honey, that was just a warm-up," she teased as she took a seat at his feet and pulled his right leg toward her. They'd both been broken in the accident, but the bones had healed well. It was the literal getting back on his feet that was the hard part.

"No sympathy for the blind…" he muttered with a small smile.

"I'm heartless, what can I say," Leah told him, massaging his calf. "These muscles are pretty tight; you're going to need to make sure you're working them when we don't meet."

"I tell my students the same thing," Edward said with a laugh. "I'll try to listen better than they do."

"Students?" she asked, switching to his other leg.

"Music students. Mostly piano and guitar. I own a music shop downtown and do lessons out of it."

"You…teach music?"

Edward laughed louder. "Yeah. I studied music at NYU. That's where I met Bella, and we moved to Seattle together."

"But you're-"

"Yeah, I'm blind," he said with a laugh. "But, like I said before, it's kind of a recent development." Leah felt her cheeks burn, afraid she'd embarrassed him. It usually took her more than one session to get so much out of a patient, but Edward seemed to be an open book.

"What happened?"

"It's a side effect...from diabetes," Edward answered simply. "I know. I have a ton of shit wrong with me. I don't know how I can still function, to be honest," he said, though he was smiling.

"You seem to be coping well," Leah snorted quietly, and then turned serious. "I've seen studies on that. Was it gradual?"

"It's been deteriorating for about five years. I can see shadows and things, but that's about it. Eventually..." he trailed off, and she knew what he was going to say. He'd already mentioned it during their first meeting.

She asked, "Have all your other spidey-senses come alive?", moving her hands to his thigh.

"Well…you do smell very nice," Edward whispered, faux-seductively, and made her pull her hands away quickly.

Leah rolled her eyes and stood up. "All right, Casanova." She took both of Edward's hands in her and pulled him off the bench. He winced as she steadied him. "Your ride is here."

"Oh, hey, Jas," Edward called over his shoulder, smirking at what he knew was Leah's bewildered face. "Jasper shuffles his feet when he walks," he whispered while tugging on his ear.

Leah shoved his shoulder, and smiled at his friend.

"He did great. Make sure he walks a little tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll get his leash all ready for the park," Jasper teased with an evil grin.

"Dick," Edward muttered, taking his friend's arm and settling himself in his chair. "See you Wednesday, Dr. Clearwater."

"Goodbye, Edward." Leah smiled as she watched the two of them leave, and then began to prepare for her next patient. She couldn't help but think that working with Edward would be easier than some of her patients. He already seemed so eager to start on his recovery, despite the other obstacles he was facing. Leah also found it intriguing that he still managed to run a business and teach in his condition. But, then again, he didn't seem like the type to let things get him down.

Maybe she could learn something from him, too.

"Hey, where'd your cutie go?" Jessica, one of the physical therapists appeared beside her.

Leah shook her head and gave Jess a wry smile. Her boy-craziness got to be a little much sometimes.

"Home. He'll be back Wednesday, maybe you'll catch a glimpse of him them."

"God, I hope so," Jess gave a sad sigh and walked away, just as Leah's next patient arrived. She forced a smile and greeted the elderly man that approached her, wishing that more of her patients looked like Edward Cullen.


	4. Chapter Four

**Hi! Happy Friday. Thanks to my favorite ladies for helping me out and to you for reading. :) **

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Four

"How was today? A little better?" Bella asked while filling the tub with warm water.

Edward made a noise in the back of his throat, making Bella laugh quietly.

"She's tough, huh?"

"She's something," he muttered. Although…if Edward were to be honest with her, he really enjoyed his sessions with Leah. She pushed him more than anyone in his family or circle of friends had, and expected more from him, too.

"Well, that's why we picked her, baby," Bella told him, helping him slip into the warm water. He moaned quietly in relief, feeling his muscles relax, and his fiancée smiled. "I'm going to wash the dishes." She kissed the top of his head and started to walk away, before Edward reached out quickly and caught her hand.

He raised his eyebrow suggestively. "How about you join me?"

Bella shook her head. "Edward…you can't."

He sighed and rested his head on the wall behind him. "I _can. _You _won't_."

"I don't want to hurt you," she said softly.

"Sweetheart, trust me. That's the last thing I'm thinking about right now." He pulled her closer, until she was sitting at the edge of the tub. Bella leaned forward, taking Edward's face in her hands and kissing him gently.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips, and then she was gone before he could respond.

He sank into the water, feeling dejected _and_ rejected, and tried not to let it get to him. Honestly, he didn't know how sex would work, or even _if_ it would work the first time. He just knew he wanted her…and wanted her to want him, too. The situation felt similar to how it had been when his sight first began to deteriorate. For a while Bella didn't know how to even try to get intimate, and Edward had been frustrated with the kid gloves she insisted on using with him. Eventually they'd worked it out. It was even fun for Edward, learning how to get things done differently, focusing on using everything _except _his sight. If anything, it made being together better once they finally tried again.

Edward didn't press the issue any more that night, even though he wanted to try. Instead, when they crawled into bed, he asked about the wedding plans.

"How are things coming along?" he asked, as Bella settled her head on his shoulder.

"Fine," she answered, shrugging and yawning.

He chuckled and kissed her head. "Just fine? We're going to have a fine wedding?"

"No, everything is going well. I'm just tired. I've been working on a tough account all week and hoping I don't lose it to Tyler."

"I hate that guy," Edward whispered.

Bella forced a laugh. "Yeah. He's a jerk."

"Okay, get some rest then. We can talk plans tomorrow." He rolled, pulling her against his chest, enjoying the way she fit against him, and looking forward to talking about their wedding.

xXx

Edward woke up to an empty bed in the morning, and his phone chirping with a text message. He made his way to the bathroom, phone in hand as it read him the message from Bella.

"_Went into the office for a little while. See you this afternoon." _

He frowned, but didn't bother responding. Saturdays were supposed to be days they spent together watching movies, going to farmers' markets, or shopping. Bella had been working more on the weekends within the past couple of weeks, though. Edward couldn't help to think that maybe things were busier for her than normal.

Or that she was hiding something.

Instead of worrying about it, he dressed himself (albeit slowly without an extra pair of hands) and called Jasper to pick him up and take him to the store.

"We don't work on Saturdays," Jasper grumbled as he helped Edward into his car.

"Now we do," Edward replied with a smile. "You can just drop me off if you want. I just have a couple of things to do."

"No, I'll stay. Alice's hormones are in full swing, and I swear to sweet little baby Jesus in his cradle, if she yells at me one more time I'm going to move out," Jasper told him, though he knew his friend was joking.

"She's pregnant, what did you expect?"

"But…you know how high-strung your sister _already _is? It's doubled," Jasper whined while Edward laughed.

"I am…not sorry about that. I lived with her for eighteen years; it's someone else's turn to suffer."

"Whatever, I'll just send her to hang out with Bella."

"Go for it, maybe she'll actually talk to Alice," Edward muttered, though he immediately regretted it.

"Trouble in paradise?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know. I think all of this," he broke off, gesturing to himself, "is a lot for her."

Jasper frowned and shook his head. "Well, it's a lot for you, too. Don't forget that," he said, squeezing his friend's shoulder tightly.

Edward nodded, feeling somewhat comforted, and happy that he'd finally admitted something out loud: that maybe things were going as well as he thought they were.


	5. Chapter Five

**Hola. Thanks to my lovely ladies again, and to you, of course. ;) **

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Five

"Alice is here," Edward said, without looking up from the guitar he was restringing.

"It's creepy when you do that," Jasper replied with a frown in his direction.

"What's creepy?" Alice asked from the doorway of the backroom.

Edward grinned as his sister dropped a kiss to the top of his head and greeted her husband with a high-five. "That I know when people are in the room. Jasper's just jealous that I'm a superhero and he isn't. And you wear those jangly bracelets. I know it's you."

"That's why I wear them," Alice stage-whispered and placed a warm paper cup in Edward's hand. "I brought you some hot chocolate."

"What about me?" Jasper's frown grew as he glanced at his wife.

"I'm still mad at you," Alice sniffed.

"Oh, I think I hear the front door," Edward said quickly as he rolled himself away from a potential lovers' spat.

"Coward," Jasper muttered as his retreating back.

"Yep!" Edward yelled with a laugh. "Coward every time!"

As it turned out, the bell over the door of the shop had rung, so Edward's excuse was validated. Though it was often difficult to help customers these days without Jasper's help.

"Can I help you?" Edward asked, hoping his customer wasn't actually a murderer coming to take advantage of a crippled blind dude.

The faint scent of vanilla surrounded him and he heard her move closer. His worry seemed to fall away in her presence.

"I hope so," a quiet voice replied, making him smile.

"Hello, Dr. Clearwater," he greeted her, trying to make out her shape in the dim lighting of the store. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Actually, this was completely and totally planned. I need a gift for my younger brother and was hoping to borrow your expertise."

"Oh, sure. Trust the blind guy," Edward joked, and then quickly turned his head toward the back room at the sound of raised voices.

Leah followed his gaze, but Edward didn't linger for very long.

"Sorry, my sister is here," Edward half-heartedly explained.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she's pregnant and hormonal and mad at Jas. He probably took the trash out wrong, or something." Edward grinned. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"A guitar. He's been taking lessons on a hand-me-down from a friend, and I want to get him a new one for graduation. One to call his own," she told him.

Edward nodded appreciatively. "Nice gift. We have some great six-strings over here that are pretty good for just starting out. Not too expensive," he said as he slowly made his way across the shop. Leah followed him and watched silently, intrigued.

Edward stopped in front of a display of guitars hanging on the wall and ran his hand over the first one, muttering to himself. She smiled as she watched him do the same to three more guitars before he finally lifted one off where it was hanging and placed it across his lap. He strummed it quietly and nodded.

"It needs a little tuning, but I think this one will work."

"How did you just do that?" Leah asked with a soft laugh.

"I know my way around a guitar." Edward smiled. "And around the store. Jasper and I have a pretty good system so I know where everything is. And I have these," he held up his hand and wiggled his fingers, "they're pretty smart, too."

"I'm impressed," she said, and Edward could tell she was smiling.

"As you should be! It was a lot of work!" he said, and she laughed.

"Yeah, and he complained about it the _whole time_," Jasper said from behind them. Edward not-so-discreetly flipped him off while Alice quickly crossed the room to stand beside Edward. She'd become incredibly protective of him since the accident, but Edward assumed it was because she'd found out she was pregnant around the same time.

He blamed it on "motherly instincts".

"Alice, this is Dr. Clearwater. My physical therapist," Edward told her, before she could go all mama-bear.

"Oh!" Alice cried, and Edward could hear her bracelets jangle as she stepped around him to greet Leah. "I helped do the research when we were looking for someone to help with Edward's recovery."

"Yeah, you can blame her for being stuck with this guy," Jasper teased. Edward rolled his eyes behind his glasses and held the guitar out to his friend.

"Ring this up for her, please? I'm going to grab her some extra strings and picks. Do you know where the case is?" he called as he rolled away with Alice on his figurative heels.

"Sure thing, boss," Jasper said, gesturing Leah to follow him. "You play, Doc?"

Leah laughed. "No. My brother is graduating high school. I thought it'd be a nice gift."

"It's a good model. Did Edward pick it out for you?"

"He's pretty good, huh?"

"Yeah, I give him a lot of shit, but the guy knows his stuff…too bad he's such an asshole."

"I heard that, you know," Edward grumbled as he set a few small bags on the counter.

"I know." Jasper smirked. "I was testing out your superpowers."

"Behave, boys," Alice said, this time kissing her husband's cheek and ruffling Edward's hair. "See you and Bella at dinner, Edward," she called as she left the store, the bell ringing over the door as she did.

Edward made a noise in the back of his throat which Leah and Jasper chose to ignore: Jasper because he knew what was going on, and Leah because she had no idea.

"Let us know if you have any problems or it breaks or…you know." Jasper shrugged after he'd rung Leah up and packaged the guitar for her.

"I will." She smiled in thanks and turned to Edward, who seemed to be lost in thought. "Thanks for your help, Edward. I'll see you Monday?" He turned to her slowly, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"If you're lucky, Dr. Clearwater," he smiled, and she chuckled quietly, but declined a response. Instead she waved at Jasper and took her leave. Edward made his way to the door after it closed, locked it, and then, feeling for the side that he'd made Jasper stick a piece of Velcro on, flipped the sign to 'closed'.

"Were you flirting with her?" Jasper asked, and Edward shrugged.

"I don't know, was I?"

"Were you doing it on purpose?"

"Doing what?" Edward frowned.

"You know that whole 'if you're lucky' thing, that's flirting," Jasper explained while Edward pointedly rolled away. His friend followed quickly, holding open the backdoor and then locking it once they were both out of the way.

"Is not," Edward argued while pulling himself into the car. Jasper folded up the wheelchair and stuck it in the back of his car.

"It kind of was," he said after he'd climbed into the front seat.

"Want to get a beer?" Not even trying for subtlety, Edward changed the subject, and Jasper laughed under his breath.

"Whatever you want, boss."

xXx

"Where's Bella tonight?" Edward's sister-in-law Rosalie asked later that night, as they gathered at Alice and Jasper's for dinner.

"She's running late," Alice explained from across the kitchen. Edward just shrugged and rolled his chair quickly back and forth, causing the three-year-old on his lap to giggle loudly.

"Be careful, Chloe," Rosalie gently scolded her daughter as she stood on her uncle's lap and pulled his expensive sunglasses off his face to place on her own.

"She's fine, Rosie," Edward said, grabbing the little girl and kissing her cheek loudly. "Did you talk to Em this week?"

"Yeah, we got to Skype yesterday," she said. Edward could imagine the wistful expression she always got when someone mentioned Emmett or his service as a trauma medic in the army. "Three more months."

"It'll be here before you know it," Edward encouraged and Rosalie let out a sigh.

"I know. That's what he keeps saying."

"See? Not as dumb as he looks," Edward teased and Alice slapped him across the back of the head. "Hey!"

"Didn't I already warn you once today?" Her voice faded away as she went into the dining room.

"She did," Edward sighed, kissing Chloe's cheek again and slowly taking his glasses off her face to rest them back on his own.

"Dinner is served, _mon petit choux_," Jasper announced from behind them. Rosalie lifted Chloe from Edward's lap and they followed him into the dining room.

"Did he just call us cabbages?" Rosalie whispered loudly, making Edward chuckle as they settled around the table.

Alice asked her husband, "Should we wait for Bella?", with a glance in her brother's direction.

"What do you think, Ed?" Jasper asked. Edward shook his head in response. He hadn't heard a peep from Bella since her text that morning, and assumed that she had let Alice know she was running late because she knew Edward would be upset.

"It's fine, she won't mind," he said quietly, feeling all of their eyes on him. Alice shrugged at her husband, trying to have a silent conversation with him, but Rosalie quickly changed the subject to talk of Alice's pregnancy and plans for the baby shower.

Edward sat while they bustled around the table, passing dishes and talking quietly, until Alice set a plate in front of him and slid a fork into his hand.

"Thank you," he murmured, after she listed the placement of the food on his plate. He hated feeling like an invalid, especially during moments like these, when he knew they were forcing conversations amongst themselves so he wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

It just made him even _more_ uncomfortable when they did that.

A while into dinner, the front door opened, and Bella bustled in. Edward knew it was her by the sound of her heels on the tile floor. That, and the fact that she announced herself as the door slammed behind her.

"Hi! Sorry I'm late!" she cried as she entered the dining room. "Hi, sweetie," she greeted Edward with a kiss to the cheek and then took her seat beside him. He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his lips, inhaling the scent of her skin.

"Did you get a new perfume?" he asked quietly.

"What?" Bella pulled her hand away. "Oh, I just used a different one today."

"But you use the same one every day." Edward frowned. "The one my mom brought you from France after her and Dad's anniversary trip. Remember?"

"Well, I wanted a change today, silly. Not everyone likes the same thing every single day."

"What can I say, I'm a creature of habit," he muttered, going back to his dinner. The fact that she'd used a different perfume didn't really bother him _that_ much. Edward just liked when things were familiar to him, and lately Bella had been anything _but_ familiar…and that was what worried him.


	6. Chapter Six

**You're pretty and I had wine for dinner. Thanks for reading! **

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Six

"What are you doing up so early?" Bella asked sleepily while slipping into the kitchen behind Edward.

"Oh, Leah needed to change my session time. Don't worry, Jasper is taking me," Edward explained. He reached for coffee in a tall cabinet, happy to be back on his feet for the time being. It had only been four weeks working with Dr. Clearwater, but his chair had been replaced with crutches, and he already felt stronger. Of course, maneuvering crutches while blind wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but Edward was a fast learner.

"Huh. She didn't call me to let know…" Bella muttered. He imagined her frowning as she slid some bread into the toaster.

"She called me yesterday. Said she'd left a message with you last week and you never called her back," Edward said with a shrug. He carefully filled the coffee machine with the special measuring spoon they kept in the can, and then limped his way to the sink to fill the pot up with water. After he'd started to lose his sight, his parents had bought him a fancy coffee maker with the tiny cups, which was easy to work as long as someone kept it full of water for him. Of course, there was something incredibly satisfying about being able to make your own coffee.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Edward shrugged again and held his hand out to her. She took it and he squeezed softly.

"It's fine. I know you're busy with work."

"I know, I hate that things are so crazy lately," she said, and Edward could tell she was chewing on her lip. It was one of the things that had attracted him to her at first. He would watch her across the library at NYU: studying, thinking, and chewing.

"They'll slow down sooner or later. Then the wedding will be here…and the honeymoon…" he trailed off and tugged her closer, dipping his head to kiss her. She kissed him back, though reservedly, like she was still using kid gloves with him. Lucky for her, a knock on the door caused him to pull away with a kiss to her forehead. Edward grabbed his crutches and made his way to the door. A moment later Jasper followed him into the kitchen.

"Hi, Jas," Bella greeted him dully, "Sweetie, there's toast next to your coffee. I put it in a travel mug for you. I'll see you tonight," she said before giving him a quick peck on the cheek and exiting the kitchen.

"Such a ray of sunshine," Jasper muttered once she was out of earshot. Edward just shook his head and tossed a piece of crust in his friend's direction, though he couldn't help but think the same thing about his fiancée.

"Let's go, Alfred," Edward said, handing Jasper his coffee and waiting to hear the shuffling of his feet ahead of him.

"Why do I have to be the butler? Can't I at least be Dick Grayson?"

"Well, you are-" Edward started, but Jasper cut him off.

"Never mind! Forget I asked." Jasper shook his head, "to the Batmobile!"

It was half an hour later that Jasper handed him off to Dr. Clearwater with a relieved look on his face.

Jasper greeted the doctor, "He's in rare form today, Doc. Hope you can handle it," but Leah simply smiled and shrugged before stepping forward to Edward.

"He's always on his best behavior for me," she said as she reached for Edward's crutches and gently removed them from his grasp.

"That's because you terrify me," Edward muttered and looked around absently. "Not a lot going on today," he observed, listening intently.

"No, not too many early Monday morning appointments. Also, stop trying to impress me with your super hearing," she laughed and poked him in the chest with her finger.

"I'd never." Edward grinned and rubbed the spot on his chest, feeling Jasper's eyes on him the whole time before his friend finally cleared his throat and spoke.

Jasper whispered, "Terrified, huh?"

"A little," Edward admitted. He was starting to sway a little without the help of his crutches, but Leah was at his side quickly.

"Goodbye, Jasper," she said with a wide smile. Jasper nodded and tipped an imaginary hat to her before walking away. "He's fun."

Edward laughed. "Don't encourage him," he muttered, and let her lead him slowly toward where they'd been working for the past few weeks.

"He seems like a good friend to have," she observed while guiding Edward to stand on a platform. She took his hands and placed them on two bars at his sides, and Edward realized they were at the parallel bars that he'd come to hate. "I can't tell if you're frowning because of the bars or my comment," Leah chuckled quietly.

He smiled and took a deep breath while she stepped away. "Both."

"You're doing so great, Edward. I'm really impressed with your effort," she encouraged and he nodded. She was always encouraging, no matter how bad his attitude got.

"Thanks," Edward replied through his clenched teeth. Truth was, his attitude hadn't been _that_ bad. He was excited about recovery and, in the past few weeks, had been looking forward to getting things back on track with Bella. He knew the only way that was going to happen would be if he were physically "fixed".

"One more time," Leah told him, so he nodded again and turned, but a loud noise startled him and he tripped over his own feet. Edward caught himself on the bars at his sides, but a hand was on his chest and hip, holding him in place. He breathed her in, vanilla and fabric softener, a scent that had become familiar with _her_. "You okay?"

"I'm good," he said, breathless. Though he couldn't really decide why he was out of breath: the noise or the fact that she was _so close_ to him. Leah helped him straighten himself up, her hands still on him. He hoped she would think the pounding of his heart was because he nearly face-planted, and not because she smelled so fucking pretty.

_God_, he really needed to get a grip. And get laid.

"Let's take a break," Leah said quietly. Edward felt her slowly take her hands away and heard her footsteps leave and come back, before she handed him his crutches. He'd been in the room enough to have learned where things were, so he guided himself to a bench, and a moment later Leah placed a water bottle in his hand.

"Sorry about that…everything is so much more sensitive since I've started going blind. It's like I can hear…_everything_."

"I can't imagine that's easy for you," she replied, and Edward shrugged.

"Sometimes it comes in handy. Like when a customer comes to the store and we're in the back room, or when I'm crossing the street…" he trailed off, feeling Leah's body shake with silent laughter next to him. "Okay, not the best example I could have used," Edward laughed. "In my defense, she really _did_ come out of nowhere."

"I bet you'll give your kids a run for their money when they get to be teenagers," she said with a laugh. "They'll never get away with anything."

Edward gave her a soft smile. "We haven't really decided if kids are in the cards for us yet," he admitted.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, Bella's in advertising and is trying to climb the corporate ladder and I'll…never be able to see my kids' faces," he finished lamely, and Leah felt her chest tighten. In their short time working together, she had imagined that he couldn't wait to have kids, especially the way he talked about his fiancée.

"Oh…"

"I never thought I'd have to consider that, you know? I try my best to be positive, but there are some things that I just don't know I'll be able to live with."

"It makes sense." He felt her shrug and smiled.

Edward laughed. "I'm glad it makes sense to you, because sometimes it feels like I'm losing my fucking mind."

"It does," Leah replied, taking the water bottle from his hand and lifting him to his feet. "Now, let's get you back on those feet, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am."

For the rest their session they only talked about the movements they were working on or how Edward's muscles felt. Edward couldn't help but feel embarrassed that he'd just told Leah something so personal that it hadn't even left the bedroom he and Bella shared. Even when their families asked about children, they still talked like it was a possibility.

He was also reeling from whatever happened to him when she caught him. It wasn't like she hadn't touched him before; she'd had her hands all over him for weeks now. Something about the way she had this time was different, though, like a protector, a friend, or someone who cared about him.

It wasn't like Edward didn't have people who cared about him, but it was always nice to find new ones.

"Hey, Doc, you finished yet? I'm starving!" Edward heard a voice from behind him and instinctively turned toward it. He half expected to hear Jasper's shuffling feet, but instead heard the sound of wheels on the carpeted floor.

"Sorry, Edward. It looks like we went a little over our time," Leah explained before handing Edward his crutches. "I'll be right with you, Seth."

He smiled. "I take it that's not your next patient?" Leah shook her head before remembering who she was talking to.

She guided him to sit so she could help him stretch "Oh, no. My brother and father came to visit today, that's why I had to change our session."

"Yeah, we like to screw with things when it comes to Lee-Lee," Seth's voice was louder now, and Edward turned toward him. He heard Leah groan quietly. "You're one of her lucky patients?" The question was directed at Edward, so he nodded and smiled in Seth's direction, trying to make out his shape.

It took a moment for Leah to realize that Seth's hand was outstretched, so she gently tapped Edward on the elbow.

"Oh! I'm Edward. And yes, definitely lucky. Last month I was rolling around in a chair and now I can almost stand on my own," Edward joked, but Leah cleared her throat.

"That _is_ lucky. I wish she could get me out of mine," Seth teased back, though Edward could sense the hardness in his voice. It took a moment for his response to sink in, and Edward's face began to heat up.

"Shit," he muttered. "I'm not really an asshole. I mean, _sometimes_ I can be but-"

Edward could practically hear Leah rolling her eyes at her brother. "Edward. It's okay. I actually told Seth about you. He knows you're blind."

"You talked about me?" he asked, smirking in her direction.

Leah patted his shoulder. "We're done here."

Edward almost protested, but could hear Jasper greeting people in the large room. He pretended to sigh. "Okay. See you Wednesday. Let me know how the gift works out, okay?"

"You got me a gift?" Edward heard Seth say as he maneuvered himself through the room. He'd been in enough to familiarize himself with the equipment and the placement of everything, so it was easy enough for him to find Jasper.

As he led the way out of the building, Jasper asked, "Who's that with Dr. Clearwater? New patient?"

"No, it's her brother," Edward explained.

"Really? And he's…"

Edward shrugged, not needing Jasper to finish his sentence. "I guess so."

"Well, I guess we know why she does what she does, huh?"

Edward nodded, thinking that he gained a little bit of insight in that moment with her brother. Of course, underneath all that he couldn't help but think about the way it had felt when she'd caught him…or the fact that she'd been talking about him.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Hi. Stick with me, okay? Things are happening soon, I promise. ;) Thanks to my ladies and thanks to you for reading. XOXO**

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Seven

"Can I ask you something?" Edward asked two days later at his next session with Dr. Clearwater. They were finished and resting, waiting for Bella to pick him up. Edward had been careful not to say anything during their workout, but he was curious to know more about her for some reason.

"About my brother?" she countered quietly.

"Well…" Edward trailed off, suddenly embarrassed.

He hadn't spent that much time with Leah, but he knew that she wasn't always open to conversation about herself. Of course, that was probably the way it was supposed to be: she had been nothing but professional, even when Edward could do nothing _but _talk about his personal life.

"It's okay," Leah replied and took a deep breath. "My mother picked him up from school one day. It was raining, the stoplights were down, and they got hit by a semi," she explained, and Edward felt his stomach drop. He was sure he didn't want to hear the rest of the story. "Mom was killed on impact and Seth was paralyzed."

"How old were you?"

"I was a freshman at UW," she answered. "Seth was eight. I wanted to drop out of school and help take care of him, but my dad wouldn't let me."

"Smart man. Who'd be helping my whiny ass walk again if you'd done that?" Edward teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Leah laughed and patted him on the arm. "Some other lucky soul."

"I'm beginning to think you don't enjoy our time together, Dr. Clearwater." Edward grinned.

Leah felt herself blush and, selfishly, was thankful for her patient's impairment. She had come to respect Edward greatly over the past few weeks- more than any patient she'd ever worked with. In truth, she thought he was a little fascinating.

"You keep working this way and I won't be seeing you much longer," Leah laughed and ruffled his hair.

It was a friendly gesture, but she pulled her hand away quickly, ashamed. She was surprised that she'd gotten so comfortable around him…at how much comfort she felt in his presence.

Edward smiled and asked, "Is that why you do this? Why you chose this career? Because of your brother?"

She shook her head, forgetting for a moment that Edward couldn't see her.

"No," she voiced her answer, and he quirked his head in her direction. "No, I've always wanted to do this. Being able to help Seth…well, it's a bonus. I know he won't be able to walk again, but sometimes I see patients in bad conditions, and it gives me a little bit of hope. Like, maybe they'll find a way to make it happen for him or something."

"Very positive of you, Doc," he told her softly, making her smile again.

"You know, my brother was the only one to ever call me that until I met Jasper."

"Yeah, Jas likes giving people nicknames. I won't tell you what mine are, though." Edward rolled his eyes and Leah realized that after their workout he hadn't asked for his sunglasses or even reached for them.

Leah laughed, "Are they not appropriate for my delicate ears?"

"I don't think they're appropriate for any living thing to hear, to be honest," he stage-whispered.

"I like him."

Edward nodded appreciatively. "Yeah, me too."

"Okay, your ride is here and so is my next patient. I'll see you next time," she said with a quick squeeze of his shoulder. She was gone in a waft of vanilla and quiet footsteps. Edward smiled and turned around.

"Hey, Al," he greeted his sister, and picked his glasses up off the bench he was sitting on.

"Hi." She kissed the top of his head and took his hand, helping him up and handing him his crutches. "I've got a doctor's appointment, do you mind going with me?"

"Not at all." Edward shrugged as she led him to her car. He listened intently to her changed gait and smiled. She moved slowly these days, being six months along, and shuffled her feet nearly as much as Jasper.

She spoke again once they were in the car, "You're wondering where Bella is, aren't you? She said she had a client meeting and called me at the last minute."

"Honestly, Alice…no, I wasn't wondering. She's pulling away, and I'm not quite sure what to do."

Alice was quiet, which usually meant she was trying hard not to say something mean. Edward chuckled a little tiredly. Apparently he wasn't the only one who'd noticed something was off with Bella.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, and she gave a soft sigh.

"No. I just see it, too. She's been like that with all of us."

"Maybe it's wedding stress. Or stress about _me_. Or…I don't know."

"You guys will figure it out. You've been through so much already," Alice said soothingly, while reaching over to squeeze her brother's hand.

"Maybe it's been too much, Al," he replied, leaning his head against the window and closing his eyes.

Alice let go of his hand and frowned at the road in front of her. It was true that her brother and his fiancée had been through a lot in the past few years, but so had the entire family. Alice couldn't help but think that none of _them_ were pulling away, so maybe it was something different that was bothering Bella. She honestly tried hard not to meddle in her brother's affairs, but maybe it was time to do so. Or maybe it was time for Edward to figure it out on his own. Either way, Alice knew _something_ needed to happen.

xXx

"Honey, I'm _home_," Leah sang, smiling, as she opened the door to her moderately-sized split level home.

She laughed quietly at the _click click click_ of nails on the hardwood floors as her "roommate" made his way to her. Cooper was a four-year-old Brittany spaniel that she'd rescued from a shelter after his owners lost him in the woods and never went back to look for him.

Leah had barely time to set her bag down when he came barreling around a corner and skidding to a stop in front of her. He gave a soft whine, so she scratched him between the ears and set off to the kitchen with Cooper at her heels. She poured herself a glass of wine and led him out the backdoor, where he practically leapt off the deck to the fenced-in backyard. With a shake of her head, she leaned against the railing and watched him chase invisible things and roll around in the grass in the early evening sun.

Sometimes she wished life was that easy.

It wasn't as if she disliked her life. Actually, she was very happy with everything. Sure, there were things lacking and things that she wish she could change, but she knew she wouldn't be the person she was without all of it. Thinking about her own life made her think about Edward and how things seemed to be thrown at him. He hardly ever seemed to be down about _anything_.

Of course, thinking about _Edward_ reminded her of just how long it had been since she'd been on a date. She'd studied so much that there was never time for dating. When she finished school, Leah started working full time and a social life just kind of fell to the wayside. Not that Leah really wanted to date, or date Edward for that matter. He was obviously taken and she would never get involved with a patient. But she also couldn't deny how incredibly attractive he was and how nice it was to sometimes just to be around him.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Hola, dudes. Thanks to Cappie and killerlashes, as usual. And you. I heard this one was sad so...sorry? Thanks for reading! **

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Eight

Edward quietly made his way to the kitchen, his crutches abandoned in the living room. His legs seemed to yell at him with every step he took, but he didn't care. He needed to push himself for this one moment. He needed to show Bella that he was getting stronger- that this would all be over soon.

"Hi," he said, after he'd felt his way to the counter.

"Hey," his fiancée answered softly. He heard the refrigerator door close and smelled her new perfume as she neared him. She kissed his cheek and placed a beer in his hand, then leaned her head on his shoulder.

"What's going on with you?" Edward whispered and kissed her forehead. He felt her shudder against his body and her arms wrapped around his middle. "Bella?" He said her name quietly as he carefully reached behind him to put the bottle he hadn't even drank from yet down.

She mumbled something against his chest, so he pushed her away, just barely making out the shape of her face in front of him. When he had first started to lose his sight Edward would often lay awake and watch her sleep, just to memorize her face. He knew the exact shape of her mouth and the slope of her nose. The color of her eyes had been totally committed to his memory. It was something he had promised himself to never forget: he'd never forget the face of the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

"I'm sorry," Bella said again, louder this time.

"For what, sweetheart?" He brushed her hair away from her face and touched her cheek, feeling tears on her soft skin.

"For everything, Edward," she said as a little sob shook her.

It took Edward a moment to realize that she wasn't talking about distancing herself, about telling him no since the accident. He thought she might be telling him she was sorry for bailing on his so many times recently, but he knew he was wrong.

Edward knew he had bigger things to worry about.

"Tell me," Edward uttered quietly, almost positive he didn't really want to know.

Bella took a deep breath, her hands placed on Edward's chest.

"I need you to understand that I didn't mean…I never meant to hurt you, Edward," she started, and Edward felt the anger start to boil under his skin.

He had known for some time that something was wrong, but now it was being brought to the surface, and Edward wasn't sure it was something he wanted to hear. Edward took a deep breath and removed Bella's hands from his chest. He didn't kiss them or squeeze them, just removed them from his body like he was brushing off a piece of lint.

"What is it?"

"Edward, I'm pregnant," she practically whispered.

Edward froze, a brief sense of joy filling him at the idea of being a father, but he knew better. Bella had told him before the accident that she wasn't sure about children, and he had felt the same…at the time. The elation lasted a matter of seconds before everything seemed to click into place for him.

Bella's new perfume.

How she worked late and the weekends she'd spent at the office.

Her inability to be intimate with him.

_Pregnant._

"How long?" he asked through his clenched teeth, not exactly sure what he was asking.

How long had she been cheating?

How long had she known she was pregnant?

How long would she have let it go on?

"Edward…" She said his name and he felt her fingers brush his hand. "I'm sorry."

He yanked his hand away and turned away from her, breathing heavily.

"Sorry?" Edward laughed hollowly and shook his head.

"I didn't mean for this to happen!" Bella cried, touching his shoulder softly. He jerked away again, hitting his back on the counter as he turned around.

"Don't. Don't fucking touch me again. Answer my question, Bella: how long?"

"I'm…I'm six weeks," she muttered.

Edward ran his hand over his face and shook his head. "Who is it?"

His _fiancée _took a ragged breath. "Tyler," she answered quietly, and then added, "We've been seeing each other for two months."

And Edward laughed. Maybe he laughed at the "seeing each other" part, because it just seemed so wrong, using a polite term for such a horrible thing. Or maybe he laughed because it was all he could do in the moment when his life was falling apart. Or because it seemed suddenly that the world was playing an awful trick on him. First his sight, then his legs, and now the love of his life? Surely this _had_ to be a bad dream that he would wake up from, and everything would be fine.

Edward was smarter than that, though. He'd come to terms with things years ago: life was hard. And this part…this part was going to be rough.

"You should go," he whispered once he'd managed to compose himself.

"Edward, please…" she started to plead, but something in his expression must have told her not to.

"Leave, Bella. Now," he said, with a hardness in his voice that made her blanch and take a step back. He heard her footsteps leaving the kitchen and make their way to the bedroom.

He sighed loudly, almost feeling sorry for her. He had never spoken to her like that before. But, then again, he had never had a reason to hate her before.

Edward stood in the kitchen while she gathered her things, listening to her banging drawers closed and sniffling the whole time. Of course, she would have to come back. They'd lived together for five years, so she couldn't simply take all of her things in one go.

At that moment, though…he didn't care. He didn't care if he ever saw her, figuratively, again. In that moment he felt absolutely nothing but hatred for the woman who had spent the last seven years at his side.

_Seven years_, he thought angrily.

Seven years gone. There was no turning back or talking about it. Edward knew it the moment she uttered those two little words. It was sad, really, because after his conversation with Dr. Clearwater he had been rethinking having children, and could have been happy…had it actually been _his_ child Bella was carrying.

He didn't need a confession to know that baby wasn't his. It had been months since they'd been together and, had Bella known she was pregnant for that long, she would have told him.

_Funny_, Edward mused,_ she used to suck at keeping secrets. _

Or maybe he just couldn't tell when she was lying anymore. Either way, it didn't really matter.

"I'm leaving," Edward heard her whisper hoarsely from behind him.

"Goodbye," he replied, as if she had told him she was going to the grocery store.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Bella gave a little hiccup and he almost turned around. He almost went to her, wrapping her up in his arms and telling her it would be okay. That it was just another bump they'd get through.

But he didn't. He had never known such betrayal, and certainly never thought it would come from someone he loved so much.

"Leave your key," was his reply before he felt his way out of the kitchen and to his bedroom.

His legs ached from standing too long, but he wouldn't let her see him in pain. Edward slammed the door behind him and waited for the front door to close. He took a deep breath and reached for his phone in the pocket of his jeans.

"Call Jasper," he said quietly. His friend answered quickly, and all Edward had to say was, "Meet me at Collins."

Edward grabbed his crutches, programmed his GPS to send him to the little bar down the street from his building, and headed out. His emotions were already starting to feel numb, and Edward was two beers in by the time Jasper made it to the bar.

"Girl problems?" He asked, as he slipped into the seat next to his friend.

Edward coughed a laugh and rested his head in his hands.

"She's pregnant."

"...congrats?"

Edward shook his head and confesed, "Bella and I haven't had sex in almost six months."

"Well, I can see how that would be a problem," Jasper mumbled feeling a little shell-shocked. "In that case, drink up, I'm buying."

"Yeah, I was couting on that," Edward replied, grateful that he had someone to, not actually talk to, but be around in his moment of need.

They drank in silence for a while, Jasper unsure what to say and Edward not really wanting to say anything.

"You'll be okay," Jasper finally spoke and Edward nodded silently.

"I'll be okay," he repreated, willing himself to believe it.

A few rounds later Jasper was helping Edward to his front door, promising to call him tomorrow, and trying to let him know that it would all be okay. Edward had laughed and pushed Jasper out the door, because his friend tended to get a little emotional when he drank, and Edward was finally starting to feel the affects of the situations.

He locked his front door and limped his way to the bedroom, almost keeping it together...until he closed the door. It was only then did he let his emotions get the best of him as he slowly slid down his bedroom door and buried his face in his hands.

For the first time in a while he found himself with tears falling freely down his cheeks, onto his shirt and the floor, wherever they wanted to go. He didn't try to stop them, he just let them fall and mourned his loss, knowing there was no way this story was going to end with a _happily ever after_.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Hi again. Sorry I missed review replies/teasers. I went back to work this week and couldn't tell you which way is up at this point. But you don't want to hear me complaining! ;) Thanks to my ladies and thanks for reading! **

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Nine

"It smells like something died in here," Jasper noted as he closed the door behind him and made his way to the living room. He found Edward there; face-down on the couch, still in the same clothes he had been in the day before.

"Just my hopes and dreams," Edward muttered into the leather couch cushion.

Jasper bit back a laugh and sat at the end of the couch, pushing Edward's feet out of the way. He noticed his friend winced at the movement, but bit his tongue. Now wasn't the time to lecture him about his week of missed physical therapy appointments…or how he really should get his pathetic ass off the couch.

"I brought you coffee," Jasper told him. "Just the way you like it."

Edward sat up as Jasper handed him the warm paper cup. He sipped cautiously and then tipped his head toward his friend.

"There's whiskey in this," Edward said, holding back a little cough.

Jasper shrugged and nudged Edward with his shoulder. "Fine, it's just the way _I_ like it, then."

"You're a good man." Edward laughed and sipped his coffee, a little shudder running through him. "I'm sorry I'm being such a piece of shit," he said after a moment.

"Look, I get it, Edward, but you've still got a life to live. And if it has to be without her…then so be it."

"I know, I know." Edward placed the cup down and leaned back against the couch, rubbing a hand over his tired face.

It had been a week since he'd last heard from Bella. She'd come back the next day to get the rest of her things while he'd moped around Alice and Jasper's, and he hadn't spoken to her since their brief phone call that day. Part of him was happy to finally understand why she had been acting so strange. It was like the ending of a book that was neither happy nor sad: It just ended, and everyone was supposed to go on with their lives. Only Edward didn't quite know how to go on without her just yet.

No, they hadn't exactly been happy the last few weeks, but they'd had a routine, a comfortable one, and now…now Edward had nothing.

"Oh, and…your mom is on her way over," Jasper muttered into his coffee cup, ending Edward's silent pity party.

"You called _my mother_?"

"No, noooooo. _Alice_ called your mother. I had the common decency to come and tell you that she did." Jasper defended himself thoroughly, but Edward groaned.

"How long until she gets here?"

"Long enough for a shower, I'd wager."

Edward nodded, levered himself off the table, and aimed a pat at Jasper's shoulder. He missed, accidentally brushing his hand against Jasper's face, and chuckled quietly.

"Sorry," Edward muttered as he slowly maneuvered himself to his bathroom sans crutches.

"I'll just clean up around here so she isn't completely appalled!" Jasper yelled after him.

Half an hour later Edward was standing in the middle of his closet, wearing a pair of jeans with his wet hair dripping onto his bare shoulders. He reached out to grab a shirt, but brought his hand back empty.

"Hey, they're here-" Jasper cut off at the look on Edward's face. "What's up?"

Edward shrugged and turned toward Jasper's voice.

"I…I don't know where my shirts are. She moved stuff, I think and…" He trailed off, helpless.

Jasper pushed forward, feeling angry for his friend. "Here's a t-shirt," Jasper said quietly. "I'll get this organized for you and-"

"No, I'll get Mom to do it," Edward replied while the pulled the shirt on and ran a hand through his wet hair. "You should get to the store. I'll be fine."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks, man. I appreciate it," he said quietly.

"I know." Jasper patted his friend's shoulder and left him alone in the closet. Edward could hear his mother and sister coming closer, so he picked up his discarded towel and scrubbed it over his head quickly.

"There you are!" his mother, Esme, cried. Edward could almost see her standing in the doorway of the closet, hands on her hips and her caramel hair swaying back and forth as she shook her head at his situation. "My sweet boy," she whispered and pulled him into a hug.

Alice sniffled behind his mother and Edward rolled his eyes, forgetting he wasn't wearing his sunglasses.

"I'm _emotional_, dammit!" she whispered loudly. "Blame your future niece or nephew."

"I didn't mean it," he laughed. "I'm glad you're both here. I need help."

"Well, I never thought I'd hear _you_ say those words," Alice muttered, making them all laugh.

"There's a first time for everything, little sister."

xXx

"Mom, you don't have to stay. There's a little coffee shop down the street, why don't you go there," Edward sighed, swaying back and forth a little on his crutches and trying not to glare at his mother.

"Don't you tell me what to do, Edward Anthony. I came here to take care of you and I will stay here as long as I please!"

"Seriously, Mom? This isn't a game- oh," he grumbled and turned. "Hey, Dr. Clearwater."

"I'll never get used to that," Leah greeted him. He mentally kicked himself for knowing she was smiling and probably shaking her head at him. "I'm Leah Clearwater," she said, and Edward heard her move to his side to greet his mother.

"Esme Cullen. It's so lovely to meet you; I've heard so much about you."

"All good, I hope," Leah teased. Edward gave her a non-committal shrug, so she shoved his shoulder. "Okay, this guy's been out of for a few days, so I need to whip him back into shape. Feel free to hang out here."

"Thank you, sweetheart," his mother answered. Edward was sure she shot one last glare at him before walking away, her heels clicking on the tile floor.

"Let's go. No more playing hooky for you," Leah said as she carefully removed the crutches from his hands.

"Slave-driver," Edward muttered, and she giggled softly. He followed the sound of Leah's feet to their usual spot, and sat with Leah at his feet, like she was waiting for him to tell her a story.

Truth: he'd love to tell Leah all about what was going on in his life. Everyone he'd talked to in the past week had coddled him or tried to make him feel better. Edward would have appreciated Leah's honesty.

Her fingers moved over his calves. "What have you been doing, lying around all week?" she asked. He made a noise in the back of his throat, and Leah felt her face heat up at the sound of it. It was a simple noise, a groan of sorts, but it made her mind wander…and made her very grateful that he couldn't see her at the moment.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Your sister just said you hadn't been feeling well. I was worried," Leah admitted quietly.

Edward felt an urge of affection toward his doctor, and then felt absolutely ridiculous for it. He'd been single for a hardly a week, and she probably didn't mean anything by the comment.

"I'm fine," Edward said curtly, angry at himself for his moment of weakness. It was like the moment when Bella had told him she was pregnant. That little glimmer of hope that he recognized as the same. Maybe it was just him feeling desperate for some sort of non-familial affection.

"Yeah, right," Leah whispered, and he could practically see her roll her eyes. She took a seat next to him on the bench and nudged him with her shoulder. "I minored in psychology, you know."

"Don't quit your day job, Doc," Edward teased with a small smile.

"Fine. You don't have to tell me. Hey, do you think your mom would like to come help me -"

"Please don't," he groaned and buried his face in his hands. "It's just…I've been wallowing because Bella and I split up last week."

"Oh," Leah said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah. Yeah, thanks," he replied just as quietly. "Turns out all my senses have been a _little_ off because I didn't realize that she'd been cheating on me for two months," Edward explained further without any hesitation: it felt get to get it off his chest.

Leah was quiet for a long moment before she burst out laughing. Edward turned to her stunned.

"She's an idiot!" she cried.

"What?" Edward asked, shocked.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but that girl is an idiot. She doesn't- it's her loss. That's all I can say on the matter. It's her loss," she finished lamely and tuned to him, feeling flustered at her own outburst.

Edward smiled, just the corner of his mouth turning up, and he found himself wishing more than ever that he could see her. Not just the shape and shadow of her- _all_ of her. He wanted to see the person who had, with a little clichéd phrase, turned his whole week around.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Hi. Thanks to you and my girls. See you soon.**

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Ten

"Are you sure you're going to be okay, sweetie?" Esme touched Edward's hand softly, and he smiled.

"I'm fine, Mom. As long as I know where my underwear is everything's great," he told her.

Jasper whispered loudly, "Top drawer, buddy."

"I'm serious, Edward," his mother sighed.

"What makes you think I'm not serious, Mom?" He grinned, so she leaned over and pinched his cheek. "Ow! You can't do that to a blind guy!"

"I'm your mother, I can do whatever I want," Esme replied with a slightly indignant tone. "Your father and I will come back next weekend, okay?"

"Okay," Edward grumbled. He felt his mother lift herself from the couch and kiss the top of his head. Jasper's and then Alice's footsteps followed his mother's to the door of his apartment, and he leaned back against the couch, exhausted.

He heard them say their goodbyes, and then return back to the living room with him.

"You guys can go, you know. I don't need a babysitter."

"Are you sure?" Alice asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm pretty mobile these days, you know." Edward gave his sister a lopsided grin, which he hoped she returned.

"Thanks to Dr. Clearwater," his sister replied in a teasing tone.

"She's…she's pretty good." Edward nodded slowly, feeling like his sister and her husband were suddenly having a silent conversation right in front of his face. "You're both being super sketchy right now, so stop."

"Okay, okay," Jasper laughed and patted Edward on top of the head. "We'll see you later, sweetheart."

"Get away from me," Edward grumbled and slapped at his friend's hand.

He could hear a soft _thump_ and an "Oof", and he assumed Alice had slapped her husband, or at least given him a nice kidney shot for him.

"Call me if you need anything," she said as she touched his shoulder gently.

"I will, I will. Get out of here, you crazy kids."

Edward waited until the front door closed before slowly making his way to lock the door. He was tired, but felt stronger than he had in the two weeks since Bella had left. His family had done a great job of keeping his mind occupied, and for that he was eternally grateful, but all he really wanted to do was to be alone for a little while. He felt like he was still in the processing stage of the breakup and still wasn't quite sure how to feel.

The first week had been rough, and he didn't mind that his family had been worried. Now was different, though. Now Edward knew that there were things he needed to do on his own in order to move on. His recovery was one of them, of course- both physically and emotionally.

"Ow," Edward muttered to himself as he made his way to the kitchen to find something for dinner. His muscles ached from being on his feet with his family all day, but he almost enjoyed the pain. It meant that he was alive, after all. Alice had offered to cook for him, but Edward was adamant about doing it himself: something else he needed to get used to doing.

With the help of his mother and Alice (and a reluctant Jasper), they had reorganized the majority of his little apartment so that everything was easily accessible to him. Thankfully, he _was_ mobile; he just needed to know exactly where everything was. Edward was pretty good with dressing himself these days, too. It helped that all of his jeans were the same and he didn't really wear anything but t-shirts, but there were some occasions where he wanted to dress himself up a little. Then he just used one of the trusty apps Jasper had helped him find for his phone.

It was pretty amazing what technology could do.

Edward smiled as he found the shelf marked _CANDY_ with a Braille label. Another label had been attached right underneath it: _USE IN MODERATION OR EMERGENCIES. LOVE, MOM_.

He chuckled to himself as he popped a Reese's cup in his mouth. His diabetes was easy enough to handle, as long as he ate right, but every once in a while he had a craving for something sweet. When he was a kid the house was always stocked with peanut butter cups. Edward joked that it was the reason he was diabetic, though his doctor father reasoned that diabetes actually ran in the family.

In the middle of making himself a sandwich, Edward heard his phone ringing a special ring reserved for Skype calls, so he quickly made his way to the living room and fell onto the couch to answer it.

"Hello?" he asked, breathless.

"What the hell are you doing? Running a marathon?" Emmett's voice greeted him, and Edward felt himself grin.

He laughed, "Shit, man. Anything on my feet is considered a marathon these days."

His brother chuckled quietly. "I'm glad you're on your feet, Edward. Really glad. I wish I could be there to help get your skinny ass back in shape."

"Ah, don't worry about me. My physical therapist is pretty scary," Edward joked.

"Good, I hope she doesn't take any of your shit, either."

"Absolutely not."

"I'm sorry about Bella, man. I hate being over here while you're going through all of this." Emmett's voice was quiet and Edward shrugged, realizing too late that his brother could probably really only see his face at the moment.

"Is that your way of telling me you miss me? That's sweet, Em."

"I mean it, Edward."

"I know you do. And you'll be home soon to take me out and get me drunk like the great brother you are, right?"

"Of course I will!" Emmett laughed loudly, and Edward knew it to be true. Emmett's philosophy was that a few beers could cure anything, even a broken heart.

"If your wife will let you out of her sight?"

"Yeah, that too." He could practically hear the smile in his brother's voice. "God, I miss them."

"They miss you, too. We all do. Just a few more weeks, bro. You can handle it."

"I know," Emmett sighed. "Hey, I'm supposed to be giving _you_ the pep-talk!"

"I'm good, Emmett. Don't worry about me."

Emmett changed the subject, "So, how much longer in your rehab?"

"Well," Edward started as he leaned back, holding the phone up to his face. "Technically two weeks, but Leah says I'm progressing quickly so maybe just one more. I'm still a little sore from this week, but I'm feeling pretty good besides that."

"Leah, huh? What's she look like?"

Edward slipped off his glasses and raised an eyebrow at the phone in his hand, causing Emmett to laugh loudly.

"Sorry!" his brother gasped through his laughter.

"That was the dumbest thing you've ever said to me, you insensitive asshole," Edward snorted, slipped his glasses back on and shook his head. "You'd have to ask Jasper. I think his exact words were 'pretty is an understatement'. She smells nice, though."

"She smells nice." Edward could almost see Emmett rolling his eyes. "You're such a chick."

"I've been a little preoccupied lately, okay!" Edward defended himself. "And besides, she's my _doctor_, that's against the rules or something."

"Against the rules is hot, Ed. You should go for it."

Edward laughed quietly and shook his head. "Emmett, I've been single for two weeks. Give me time to get over it, okay?"

"Fine, but when I get home we're hitting the town. You can play the blind guy and I'll be your wingman."

"Too far-fetched. No one will ever buy it," Edward teased half-heartedly.

"It'll be great. Like Daredevil and his sidekick."

"You're an idiot, Emmett. Besides, Daredevil doesn't have a sidekick."

"I mean it!"

"Which is why you're an idiot. I love you, man, stay safe over there."

"I'll be home before you know it," Emmett said softly, and Edward nodded. "See you soon."

Edward muttered his goodbye and let his phone drop to the couch cushion beside him, feeling lighter than he had in two weeks. It was mostly to do with being able to talk to his brother, but the conversation about Leah had his mind suddenly reeling. He _knew_ she was beautiful- it was almost like he could feel it radiating off her. Maybe it was because she was so compassionate, but sometimes when he looked at her and tried to make the image of her in his mind, she seemed to glow.

Of course, thinking about it in those terms sounded stupid, so he couldn't exactly explain it to anyone. He was also nursing a broken heart, so the idea of him being anything but professional with Leah wasn't even close to being on the table. Edward had been with Bella for nearly seven years and he knew it was going to take time to get over here.

He also knew, very clearly, that when he did move on, it_ definitely _wouldn't be a fling. Edward had never been one to look at relationships so flippantly, and knew that anyone who would get involved with him and all that came with him had to be serious about it. His mind drifted back to Leah and he stifled a little groan.

It was going to be hard getting her out of his mind.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Hi, yay. I've been complete review reply/teaser fail lately and I'm sorry. :( I love your love so much, though. Thanks to Capricorn75, as always. And to killerlashes for sticking around even when I'm a pain IRL. ;) **

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Eleven

"You want to grab a cup of coffee?" Edward asked, trying to be nonchalant as he wiped his face with a towel.

Leah's eyes widened as she looked at him, afraid to answer.

"Um…"

"If you don't have any other patients, I mean," he added, sensing her hesitation. It wasn't like he was asking her out on a _date_. He just wanted to grab a cup of coffee with her and maybe talk about something that _didn't_ have to do with his recovery or the crappy stuff going on in his life.

"I don't," she told him, and watched his face drop. "Have any other patients, I mean."

"So…coffee?"

Leah laughed quietly, "Yeah, coffee. Let me just grab my bag, do you have all of your stuff?"

"I'm good." Edward nodded and slipped his messenger bag over his shoulder. His crutches were gone, and he was one week away from being fully cleared by Dr. Clearwater. Basically Edward was feeling pretty good about himself, despite the whole "fiancée leaving him for another man" thing, of course.

"Ready?" Leah asked, appearing at his shoulder.

"Lead the way." He grinned and gestured in front of him. Leah led him out of the building and smiled when he held out his elbow to her. She slipped her hand under his arm and moved closer to him.

"No help, huh? You're getting pretty brave."

"I have a cane in my bag," Edward said with a shrug. "It's kind of Daredevil-ish, but I use it sometimes. I just know where I'm going today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, there's a Starbucks on every corner of this city. Oh, and my phone tells me where to go," he explained, holding his phone out to her. Their fingers brushed as she took it from his hand, and she repressed a shudder and wondered why she was even feeling it in that moment.

"Fancy," she laughed and handed it back to him.

"It's kind of amazing what technology can do these days, you know?"

"How did you find out about them?"

"Jasper, mostly. He loves stuff like this," Edward explained with a small smile. "He's my blind-person-app go-to-guy…I need someone to help me download them," he added sheepishly.

Before Leah could reply, his phone chimed, alerting them that they'd reached their destination.

"See? Now, if it could only get me in line and help me pay, then we'd be golden…"

"I'll help you out," Leah teased, opening the door for both of them and leading him inside. Edward went first, ordered his coffee, and pulled out his phone to pay.

"Starbucks app. Not limited to the blind, you know." Edward grinned.

"I'm very in with the times, sir," she snorted quietly.

Edward good-naturedly made a face at her, "Oh, and whatever the lady's having," he told the cashier with a nod to Leah. He figured she shot him a glare before she ordered, because once they'd received their drinks she elbowed him gently.

"You didn't have to do that."

Edward laughed, and cautiously took a seat in the crowded coffee shop. "Hey, you got me on my feet again. It's my way of repaying you. Now I just owe you about a couple hundred more, right?"

Leah smiled to herself at the thought of coffee with Edward for a few more times. "Yeah, just a couple hundred more. You'll be done with me soon enough, you know. How will we keep this up?"

She watched as the tips of his ears turned pink and he opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"Um…well," Edward cleared his throat.

"I'm kidding, Edward!" She giggled quietly, but was secretly enjoying his reaction. "Besides, you're my patient. It's against the rules."

"What is? The way I see it, it would just be coffee between two consenting adults," he said with a shrug, after he'd regained his composure.

"Would you..._want_ to do that?" Leah almost whispered.

"I think I might," he replied, just as softly, and stared at the floor.

Leah didn't reply, she just sat contemplating her warm paper cup, not sure how to respond. Truthfully, she didn't know how she could keep the hopefulness out of her voice at the prospect of spending more time with him outside of the gym.

"I'm sorry," Edward said after a moment. "It's just- it's nice to talk to someone who isn't my family or isn't too close to the situation I'm in. It's nice to talk to you."

"Oh." Leah nodded slowly and sipped her coffee, then spoke again. "I'm always here if you need to talk. I did-"

"Yeah, you minored in psych." Edward offered a small smile. "I don't want to burden you with anything, though. Like I said…I just like to talk to you."

"Is everything okay? Are you and Bella…" Leah let her sentence trail off, not quite sure what she was going to ask anyways. Selfishly, she didn't want everything to be okay between them. She only knew bits and pieces surrounding their breakup and wasn't really sure if she wanted to hear that they had reconciled or not.

"No, nothing is okay between us. _I'm _doing okay, though. I guess," Edward answered honestly.

"Can I ask why?"

"Why what?"

"Why isn't anything okay? There's no chance that you two will-"

"_No_," Edward's answer came out harsher than expected and he rubbed his fingers over his forehead. "Sorry. No, there's no chance. She's uh, she's pregnant. It isn't mine, there's not a snowball's chance in hell that it would be. So, no. No chance at us getting back together."

Leah felt a sudden rush of anger toward a woman she had only met a handful of times and clenched her fist tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Edward."

"It's okay. Really, I'm okay," he said, feeling Leah's skeptical gaze on him. "Fine," he laughed. "I _will_ be okay. Just another hurdle to get over, right? And, thanks to you, I'm back on my feet and ready to do that."

"Still…that sucks," she murmured, at a loss for the words to rightly describe his situation. "How long were you together?"

"Seven years," he told her. "We met at NYU and then moved back here to be closer to my family. Her mother lives in Florida and her dad passed away years ago. My brother had just gotten married and was starting a family and we wanted to be close to them."

"You have a brother? Older?"

"Yeah, Emmett's the oldest, and Alice is the baby. He's in Afghanistan right now, but he's coming home next week." Edward smiled widely.

"He has kids?" Leah asked.

Edward sipped his drink and nodded. "Chloe is three. I was just starting to lose my sight when she's born, so I really only see her as a baby. She's loud and smart, though."

"I bet she loves you," Leah mused, and Edward grinned.

"She does."

Edward was quiet after that, his eyes focused out the window of the coffee shop. He could see the shapes of people moving around, but everything else he made up in his head: happy couples window-shopping as they strolled; parents and wiggly, impatient children; businesspeople oblivious to everything but the screens of their smartphones.

"You're good," he said after a moment, turning back to Leah.

"At what?" she asked softly.

"At making me forget."

"Good," she answered, and Edward could hear the little bit of pride in her voice and maybe, just maybe, some hope for something more.

He was pretty okay with that.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**What were we talking about, again? How super you are? I think so. Your love is perfect. Thanks for sticking around. **

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Twelve

"So, this is it, huh?" Edward asked quietly, his hands stuck in the pockets of his workout pants.

"Yeah, I guess so," Leah answered. She took a deep breath and let her eyes wander over his lean body, currently covered in sweat from his time on the treadmill.

"Do I need to sign anything or…"

Leah laughed. "No, Edward. Everything is taken care of. You just need to…keep it up, you know?"

Edward nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Yeah, I will. I won't let you down, Doc."

"I know you won't." She smiled and clasped her hands behind her back, forcing herself not to throw her arms around him just to feel his body against hers.

It had been a week since their coffee "date", and it was all she seemed to think about: how he smiled when he talked about his family, the way he tapped his fingers on the table, how it felt like he was looking completely through all of the walls she had put up, even though he couldn't technically see her.

Suddenly Edward grinned and turned around. Leah followed his gaze and watched as a tall, dark-haired man made his way to Edward and wrapped him in a hug that lifted her patient off his feet. She watched them interact for a moment, feeling herself smile. The two men had the same color eyes and strong jaw. They were both tall, though the dark-haired man was much bulkier than Edward's lean build.

Edward pulled away and took the man's face in his hands.

"I missed you, you asshole," Edward whispered.

"God, you're ugly," the man replied.

Edward laughed and hugged the man again, before turning to Leah.

"Sorry, Doc. This is my brother, Emmett." Edward's smile was blinding as he introduced his brother, and Leah couldn't help but return it.

"Doc? So, you're the one responsible for getting this jerk back on his feet? We owe you," Emmett told her, holding out his hand. Leah shook it with a glance in Edward's direction.

"It was my pleasure," she replied.

Emmett smiled and wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders.

"That's good to hear, because I grew up with this kid and it was pretty awful."

Leah laughed and shuffled her feet.

"No, he's great," she said quietly and her face began to warm.

Meanwhile, Edward beamed beside his brother, like hearing her say that was the highlight of his day.

Emmett stared between them before clearing his throat and clapping Edward on his shoulder.

"Jasper said if I don't bring you to the store immediately he'll tell Alice on us both, but I'm not really that scared of either one of them. So, lunch first?"

Edward laughed, "You aren't scared of Alice?"

"I've been living in a war zone for six months," Emmett deadpanned and Leah snorted quietly, bringing both of the men's attention back to her.

"I'm sorry. I've just…I've met your sister," she explained, trying to regain her composure.

"Tiny but mighty," Edward said with a rueful smile. "That's Alice."

"But really, I've been living off MREs for a while now and I could really use a beer and some cheese fries, so let's get this show on the road," Emmett said as he picked up Edward's bag and turned to Leah. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Clearwater. Thank you, again." He held out his hand, his bright eyes locked with hers like he was trying to communicate something to her without Edward knowing.

"Oh!" Emmett cried with a glance in Edward's direction. "We're going to Collins' tonight for a little celebration, why don't you join us? You can tell me all about what a pain in the ass this guy's been."

Leah's eyes widened at his forwardness, but the urge to be with Edward in another setting was too appealing to say no.

"Okay, sure," she muttered with a nod.

"Really?" Edward raised his eyebrows as he slipped on his sunglasses.

"Really," she repeated.

"Cool. Em, I'll meet you at the exit, okay?"

Emmett took his cue to leave, but not without giving Leah a subtle wink that made her cheeks burn even more.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I _literally_ wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for you," Edward said quietly, once his brother's footsteps had faded away.

Leah swallowed the lump in her throat and reached out to take his hand in hers, ignoring how well their palms fit together. She tried to think of something to say, but all words failed her in that moment. So, instead of speaking, she tugged his hand and pulled him against her. Edward stumbled at first, but gripped her hand tightly and let his other arm slip around her back once he gained his footing back.

He felt her sigh against him and he breathed her in: vanilla again and the scent of the gym, something that had become so familiar and comforting to him.

"Thank you," he said again, softly against her hair.

"You're welcome," she whispered just as quietly.

"I should go."

"Probably," Leah replied. "Oh, Edward?" She called as he started to walk away.

"Yeah?" He turned, smiling.

"How did you know it was your brother walking in?" She bit her lip as she asked, but Edward only smiled wider.

"His footsteps are heavy and fast…and he's my brother." Edward shrugged. "I just know."

"Okay."

"I'll see you tonight?" he asked, and then chuckled at his own joke. "You know what I mean."

"Tonight," Leah affirmed.

xXx

Leah's hand shook as she reached for the door of the little pub and she silently chastised herself. She wasn't nervous because it wasn't a date- or that was what she kept telling herself. Besides, she didn't even want to date Edward.

_Yeah, right_. Leah rolled her eyes at herself and finally pulled the door open. She saw Jasper first and immediately felt calmer as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and steered her to the group without a word.

"Nice hat," she commented on his fedora which he tipped in her direction with a grin.

"Thanks. Alice hates it, but she's at home being pregnant, so here it is."

Leah laughed and shook her head, then stopped at the sight of Edward at the bar with a beautiful blonde woman. Jasper frowned and followed her gaze, while she tried to pretend she wasn't glaring at them together.

"Have you met Emmett's wife? I think she's the only one who didn't pick Ed up. I'll introduce you." Jasper gestured in their direction and Leah followed, feeling guilty for jumping the gun, and for even thinking there was a gun to jump.

"Hey, Doc," Edward greeted her as she and Jasper neared them. "I'm glad you made it."

He smiled at her, that smile that she had become accustomed to…the one that felt like it was just for her, and for a moment she forgot they were in a crowded place standing next to his in-laws.

Jasper cleared his throat and gestured to the blonde woman, whom Leah realized, was even more beautiful up close.

"This is Rosalie, the saint that puts up with Emmett's shit on a daily basis," Jasper introduced her.

"Oh, thanks," Rosalie replied dryly. "That's how I introduce Alice, you know?"

"As well you should. Good day," he tipped his hat and shuffled away, leaving the rest of them laughing after them.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Leah. I've heard a lot about you." Rosalie smiled warmly and shook Leah's hand, before slipping off the stool next to Edward. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find that pain in the ass husband of mine."

"Hi," Leah finally returned his greeting once Rosalie was out of earshot.

"Hi," he retuned, smiling again. "Sit."

She did, and ordered quickly a beer from the bartender, feeling Edward's gaze on her the whole time.

"How do you do that?" He asked quietly, leaning in closer to her.

"Do what?"

"Always manage to smell like a freaking cupcake!" Edward laughed and pulled away, carefully lifting his drink to his lips.

"You…think I smell like a cupcake?" Leah asked, bemused, and suddenly aware of how he knew she was close to him a few moments ago.

"Absolutely. Well, something vanilla. I guess a cupcake was just the first thing that came to my mind." He shrugged and she felt a smile playing on her lips.

And then the words, "I like that you know what I smell like," slipped through her lips before she could stop them.

Edward thought for a moment, unsure of what to say, unsure if he was ready to cross the line they'd seem to have drawn in front of them.

"I…I like it, too," he replied, but was interrupted by Emmett before he could elaborate or tell her that the smell was comforting to him, that it was his favorite, that it helped for the picture of her he had in his mind and she was beautiful.

"Hello, ladies," Emmett said with a wide grin as he pushed in between them. "Leah, I need to find Edward a woman."

"Um…what?" She choked on her beer and frowned up at him.

"Yeah. He's been single for too long-"

"A _month_," Edward interjected.

"Yeah, _too long_. So," he turned back to Leah, his eyes locked with hers like they had earlier. "You see any prospects?"

"Well, I guess it depends on what you're looking for." She returned Emmett's gaze until his face turned serious and she had to look away.

Leah was very aware of what Edward's older brother was trying to do, and couldn't decide how she felt about it just yet. She didn't know him like she knew Jasper and wasn't sure what his intentions really were. Also, she wasn't really sure how she felt about being set up with someone she'd been working with for months, especially if it were being done by his family.

"You know what," Emmett said after a moment. "I'm sure Edward is perfectly capable of finding someone on his own."

"Oh, you think so?" Edward teased skeptically. "I remember what I look like, you know."

Leah giggled under her breath and watched a coy smile turn up on Edward's pretty mouth.

"Yeah, but did you even brush your hair today?" Emmett joked and Edward shook his head. "Well, bro…I think the look is working for you," he stage-whispered before leaving them alone again.

"Is this look working for me?" Edward asked, giving her a lopsided smile which he hoped she returned.

"Yeah, it's working for you," Leah replied and turned on her stool until her knees touched his. "It's definitely working for you."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Be prepared for some _The Princess Bride _references. Sorry, not sorry. Big hugs all around. :)**

* * *

Blind Ambition - Chapter Thirteen

"So, what's your game plan?" Emmett asked, nudging Edward's shoulder with his own and making his brother almost spill the drink in his hand.

"Game plan?" Edward returned, giving Emmett what he hoped passed as a confused look, since he really knew exactly what his brother meant.

"Yeah. Your plan with the doc. You have one, right?"

Edward shook his head slowly. "No, not really. She's my friend, and I…like that."

"You don't like that."

"You don't know what I like," Edward retorted with a frown.

"Yes, I do. You like Leah. And she likes you," Emmett argued, and Edward almost expected him to start quoting _The Princess Bride_ and talk about "twoo wuv".

"It's complicated, Em."

"Sure it is. She's a hot doctor and you're a blind asshole, that part I get. What I don't get is why you aren't over there saving her from that douchebag who just bought her a shot."

Edward groaned, "Because I'm a blind asshole."

"Would you like me to point you in her general direction? You _have_ been glued to this spot all night."

"Go," Edward sighed. "I'll follow."

Emmett took off across the bar with Edward following carefully in his wake. He could hear conversations floating around him as he followed his brother's shape, until he felt Emmett's hand on his shoulder and heard Leah's soft laugh. The smell of her perfume was intoxicating him all over again, he wasn't sure he would ever be used it.

"There you are!" she cried, and he felt her arm slip around his waist. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Yeah, I've been, uh, _looking_ for you, too." He smirked down at her and wondered if she smiled or rolled her eyes.

As it turned out, she laughed and pressed her face to his shoulder, so he wrapped his own arm around her and pulled her close.

"Did he leave?" Edward asked quietly, and Leah nodded against him.

"They both did."

"Where are we?"

"Middle of the room, twenty feet from the bar," she told him.

Edward's arm slipped from around her and he licked his lips, "Okay. You see the door at the side of the bar?"

"Yep," she affirmed.

"Let's go," he whispered.

"You got it," Leah whispered back. She took his drink and he heard her set it down at a near table along with her own. Then, tentatively, she took his hand in her own and he let her lead him across the room. "What do we do when we get there?"

He laughed, "Open it."

She did as he said and found herself in a stairwell that let to the top of the building.

"The roof, huh?"

"You can see all of the city." Edward smiled and counted the steps until he got to the ledge, fifteen in all. He rested his hands on the concrete in front of him and listened.

"It's beautiful," she murmured from beside him.

After a moment, "Tell me about it?" he asked quietly.

"It's alive. The lights and the people…all of it. If you close your eyes you can hear it all. The music and people… you can smell the exhaust from the streets and just…everything."

She stopped then and turned to him, watching a small smile grow on his face.

"This is what it's like for you every day, isn't it?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much."

"There's so much- does it scare you?"

"Sometimes," Edward answered quietly. "But I can always find my peace." As he spoke, he lifted his hand slowly, so she lifted hers, too. They met in the space between their bodies and she pulled his to her cheek.

He smiled. "How did you know I wanted to do that?"

"I didn't. I just wanted you to."

Edward laughed and rubbed his thumb over her smooth skin. He wanted to take her face in both of his hands, to touch her with his fingertips like he had all of his family members. He wanted to put details the shape of her, to _know_ her…but he didn't want to scare her off just yet.

"I don't think I've ever wanted to see someone as badly as I want to see you," he said softly. It was a long moment before she reacted with a quiet laugh and threw her arms around his neck.

When she pulled away, he did exactly what he told himself he wasn't going to do. Edward took a deep breath and framed Leah's face with his hands.

"Close your eyes," he managed to say. She did as he asked, and he felt her sigh under his touch. Very slowly, his thumb ran under her bottom lip, soft and full. He smiled. Then his fingers moved, over her eyebrows, the slope of her nose, her eyelids. She shuddered when he touched the hollow part under her ear and his smile grew to a full-blown grin.

"Stop smiling like that," she grumbled.

"I thought I told you to close your eyes!" he laughed.

"They _are_ closed. I can just tell, you jerk."

"It's different when you're under my hands, isn't it," Edward asked with his lips close to her ear.

"I like it," she replied, opening her eyes and realizing just how close he was. Leah lifted her hand, but the door leading back into the bar flew open just as she did.

"Aw, c'mon, man!" Emmett cried, and Edward pulled away, glaring in his brother's direction. "I told you to get a game plan, not get _my _game plan!"

"The roof is your game plan?" Rosalie shook her head, and smacked her grinning husband. "Seriously? That worked for you once, Emmett Cullen. _Once."_

Leah laughed and took Edward's hand. "I think we were leaving, right?"

"Sure," he replied, squeezing her hand lightly. "Bye!" he called to his brother and sister-in-law as Leah led him back down the stairs and completely out of the bar.

"Where exactly are we going?" he asked once they were on the sidewalk.

"I don't know. The city is alive, right?"

Edward nodded.

"Let's go be alive then," she laughed, leaning up to kiss his cheek and wrap her hand around his elbow.

Half and hour later, they were in a dimly lit park on a rickety wooden bench: his arm stretched out behind her and her knees in his lap. Edward's glasses rested on the top of his hand, his copper hair illuminated by the street lamp closest to them.

He was laughing, telling a story about the time Emmett had convinced him to climb onto the roof and his mother had nearly had a heart attack at seeing her middle child so nonchalantly sitting on top of their house. Leah wondered if he'd always been so quiet and peaceful, if he'd always taken everything life had to throw at him with the attitude that it could only get better. She wanted to know _so much._

But, even more than that, in that little moment, she wanted to kiss him. _A lot_.

"We should probably get going," she said when he'd finished.

Edward sighed and rested a hand on her knee, thumb rubbing circles over the denim she wore.

"You're probably right," he agreed as he stood and held out his hand. She took it, threading her fingers with his. "We can walk to my place from here, or do you need to go get your car?"

"No, I took a cab," she explained and Edward frowned. "Don't frown at me, I'm responsible!"

"Okay, okay," he muttered, thought about where he was, and then took off in the direction he knew would lead him to his building. They were quiet as they walked the short way to his apartment; he asked about streets and she read them and followed his directions. It wasn't until they were at his front door, did Edward finally think of something else to say.

"I'm, uh…I'm glad you came out tonight," he muttered nervously and looked down.

"Me too."

"I'll call you, if that's okay?"

"I don't know. Is that a line?" Leah laughed, and Edward shook his head.

"It isn't."

"Then it's okay." She stepped closer and, for the second time that night, let her lips brush against his cheek. "Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight," he replied, and felt the warmth of her body pulling away from him as her footsteps retreated.

Edward closed the door to his apartment and rested his head against it, sighing deeply.

"I should have kissed her," he muttered to himself. "I'm an idiot," he said, then threw open the door. Before he could take a step, though, he could already sense her presence.

"You should have kissed me," she whispered.

"I know."

"Why didn't you?"

"I'm an idiot," he repeated.

"Yeah, you are," Leah told him, as she took a small step forward and rested her hands on his chest. "Don't be an idiot, Edward."

He swallowed and took her face in his hands. "I won't be."

"Good," she sighed and lifted herself on her toes, just enough to press her lips to his. It was soft, quick, and just enough to leave her breathless.

He held her face and pressed his forehead against hers.

"Call me tomorrow?" she asked, as she rested her hands over his.

"No. I'll call you tonight," Edward replied quietly.

"Even better," she murmured, and her face broke into a grin as she slipped out of his reach, leaving him standing in the doorway and feeling completely giddy as she walked away.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Thanks to Capricorn75, killerlashes, and you. ;)**

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Fourteen

"Can you play that for me one more time, Jenny? You're doing great." Edward smiled encouragingly, but he could still feel that the little girl beside him was practically oozing nervousness.

"I just keep messing up on the third measure. It's really tough, and my recital is this weekend!" she cried as slammed her little hands down in her lap.

Edward stifled a laugh and held out his hand. Jenny sighed and touched her hand to his, letting him guide her fingers over the keys and play her song perfectly. She gave a little laugh as his hand slipped away. The girl played her song again, while he listened intently, noticing her renewed passion and confidence. He was so wrapped up in her song that he didn't realize there were two women standing behind them in the doorway.

"She's good," Leah said softly to Jenny's mother, who simply smiled.

"She has a good teacher," the woman replied, and Leah didn't argue.

It hadn't been long since she arrived at the store, prepared for her and Edward's first _real date_, but completely _unprepared_ for what she was feeling seeing him working with Jenny.

"Yeah, I think so," Leah returned with a small smile.

A moment later and the old clock chimed six, and both Edward and Jenny stood from the bench and turned toward the door. Edward wasn't sure how he knew Leah was there, but he suddenly felt calmer. He smiled, just barely seeing the shadows of the two women in the doorway, and felt Jenny's little hand slip into his.

"She's ready for Saturday, I think," Edward told Jenny's mother.

"Will you be there?" the girl asked hopefully.

Edward smiled and squeezed her little hand. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Okay!" She gave him a quick hug around the waist and went to her mother. They said their goodbyes and left, leaving Edward and Leah standing alone in the backroom of the store.

"You were so good with her."

"I have a way with women, you know," he teased. "Of all ages."

"Okay, playboy," Leah laughed quietly and reached for his hand. He laughed with her, and pulled her against him, burying his face in the crook of her neck and pressing a kiss against her skin. For a moment he thought he might be being too forward, but he just wanted to feel her against him and breathe her in to make sure she was real.

She was still for a moment while his hands ran down her sides and settled on her hips. His fingers felt the flowy material of the dress she wore and he smiled.

"No dry-fit or spandex…I'm disappointed."

"I can always go change, you know," she said as she took his face in her hands.

"No, you're perfect just like this," Edward replied just before her lips met his.

It was the first time they'd been together since their night at the bar, just over a week before. Of course, the time they'd spent on the phone with each other made up for not having any actual physical contact. It was strange, really, considering they were used to spending three days a week with each other.

"Hi," Leah whispered as she pulled away.

"Hey," he returned quietly, letting his fingers run through her short hair. "How was your day?"

"I don't know, I was too worried about this hot date I have tonight," she said and he chuckled quietly.

"Oh, yeah? You shouldn't keep him waiting any longer then." Edward let his arms drop from around her and took a step back, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him against her again.

"I don't plan on it," she murmured. "Where are you taking me?"

He grinned and kissed her cheek. "You'll see. Come on, I need to lock up and we can go out the front door."

Leah followed him, noticing his neatly pressed khaki shorts and long-sleeved button-down, rolled up to his elbow. She smiled at how very casual he looked, and how different it was than seeing _him_ in workout clothes every day, too.

Edward grabbed a backpack that was behind the register, not the regular messenger bag he carried, and slipped a thin metal rod out of it.

"Ready?" he asked as he slipped the backpack on and unfolded his cane.

"As I'll ever be," she joked, and he cocked his head to one side, probably giving her a look under his designer glasses. "You need me to do anything?"

"Nope." Edward smiled and led her out the door, then reached into his pocket for his keys.

She watched from his side, appreciating all his little tricks for finding things like the right key and the keyhole to lock the door: she noticed how his keys were covered in different colored and textured rubber, how the sign on the door had a piece of velcro on it that told him what side said _closed, _how his hands moved over the door and told him exactly what he needed to slipped his keys back into his pocket, took his cane in his right hand, and held his left hand out to Leah. Her fingers shook as she slipped them into his awaiting palm, and she hoped he didn't notice. It wasn't as if she were nervous, really. More like anxious, and maybe a little bit giddy again, too. He made her feel _giddy_.

"Have you been to Magnuson Park?" he asked as they started down the street.

"No, not in ages."

"It's about four blocks this way. Tonight's their last movie of the summer," Edward explained. "They have food trucks and drinks."

"Is it a good movie?" Leah asked, stepping closer to Edward.

"Oh, sure. Pirates, sword fights, damsels in distress…"

Leah giggled quietly. "Is it a kissing movie?"

"Maybe," he returned, squeezing her fingers tightly. "I think you'll like it."

"I know I will. So, what have you got in your magic bag?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Edward teased. They stopped at a crosswalk, Leah's grip tightening on his hand as cars sped past. Edward smiled but shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Just making sure, Edward. I'd hate for all my hard work to be undone."

Edward laughed and let go of Leah's hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders.

"I told you I wouldn't let you down," he said before pressing a kiss to her hair.

Edward pulled away after that, still keeping a tight grip on Leah's hand. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he hoped she couldn't tell that his palms were sweating, too. It was strange that after all the time they'd spent together, he suddenly felt like a teenager on a first date. Maybe it was simply because he hadn't been on a first date in so long…or maybe because he really didn't want to screw this up.

"There're so many people here," Leah said when they finally arrived at the park.

Edward could hear the people milling around and smell the different foods wafting through the air. Children laughed around them; he could feel a few of them skirt past him, and he slowed his pace.

"You okay?" Leah asked quietly.

"Yeah," he answered with a reassuring smile. "Let's just find a place in the middle. I have a blanket in my backpack."

Leah took charge and led him to an empty space in the middle of the crowd. Edward grinned as he held the corners of the blanket and she stretched it out, ordering him to drop the edges when she was finished. He let her guide him onto the blanket, and she watched as he stretched his long body out, then patted the space next to him.

"Can't resist that kind of invitation," she whispered.

They were quiet for a moment, before Leah finally spoke about something she'd been thinking about since they left the store.

"You're very good with Jenny. How long has she been your student?" she asked. As she did, Edward leaned back and removed his glasses before resting on his elbows.

"About a year," Edward answered. "I've got six students: five pianists and one guitar player."

"Are they all younger? Like her?"

"Jenny's my youngest. She's ten. The rest are in middle and high school. They're cool kids. Very talented," he explained.

"Were you like that? As a child, I mean?"

"Talented?" Edward shrugged. "You could say that. Emmett played sports, Alice was book-smart, but music kind of spoke to me."

"And now?" she asked, moving closer until she rested against his chest. She focused on his breathing, the steady rise and fall of it, and the pounding of his heart against her.

"Now everything speaks to me," he said with a little laugh. "It's overwhelming sometimes."

"Yeah? What do you hear now?" Her voice was quiet, but he had no problem making out her question.

"Right now? Right this minute?"

"Yes."

"Right now all I hear is us."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**XOXO**

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Fifteen

"Why are you so smiley these days?" Jess asked with an accusatory stare at Leah, who simply shrugged.

"No reason."

"There is a reason. And I'm going to find it-oh! Never mind," she said with a sly smile and then slipped past Leah to the front entrance of the gym.

Leah's gaze followed her, and she groaned quietly at seeing Edward standing at the reception desk. It was obvious he wasn't there for a workout, and also obvious that Jess knew exactly what he was there for.

She watched as Jess greeted him, flipping her hair and laughing too loudly. It was funny, but Leah didn't even care that her co-worker was completely flirting with her, well whatever Edward was to her. Jess was harmless, and no doubt trying to get a reaction out of Leah.

It worked, of course.

"Hi," Edward's greeting was quiet, but he turned away from Jess and smiled in Leah's direction. She smiled back, though her mind was reeling with questions. _How did you know it was me? Do I still smell like a cupcake? What do my footsteps sound like? _

"Well," Jess began with a smirk at Leah, "I can see I'm not needed here." She slunk away with a wink, and Leah just shook her head and took Edward's hand.

"What are you doing here?" Leah asked while leading him back to her office.

"You want me to lie?" he asked with a chuckle.

"That depends. What would that lie consist of?" She closed her office door and set her hands on his chest.

"Um…the store wasn't busy, Jasper let me go home early, my client cancelled…"

She sighed happily, just being able to feel him under her hands. "And the truth?"

"I just wanted to kiss you," he said, and then he did: soft, slow.

"See? The truth wasn't so hard," she teased and then pulled him closer, catching him off guard and sending them both tumbling into the door. They laughed for a moment, but laughing wasn't what he was there for, and when Edward was that close to her Leah couldn't seem to think about anything else.

All she could think of was the shape of his mouth, the softness of his kiss, the way his tongue slid between her lips. Then there were his hands and how they cupped her face, how his thumbs rubbed circles over her skin while he kissed her. His body was warm against hers: jeans and a t-shirt pressed to her workout clothes.

When he pulled away she sighed again, this time out of annoyance, so he laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I've got to go. I told Jasper I was going to get us lunch."

"And then you walked six blocks to come and kiss me?" She giggled and opened the door to her office, ready to lead him out.

"No, I took the bus." Edward grinned and took her hand, lifting it to his cheek and then his lips.

They'd reached the door, and Leah had done a good job of ignoring her co-workers' glares as they'd walked through the gym.

"Come over tonight? I'll make you dinner," Edward said quietly.

She nodded and whispered, "Okay," before kissing his cheek and dropping his hand.

"Seven. Be there." He flashed her one last inside-melting grin before taking his cane out of his pocket and practically strutting out of the gym.

Leah watched him until he disappeared around the corner, and when she turned she was face-to-face with Jess again, who was grinning like the Chesire cat.

"You slut," she teased. Leah just shrugged and tried to keep the smile off her face. She didn't mind the derogatory comment, because she knew it was, and would be, more than that.

xXx

"Where did you put the plates?" Edward asked his sister, who sighed behind him.

"I put them on the table, you dumbass. Isn't that where plates go?" she snapped, and he raised his eyebrows at her. He couldn't see it, but felt the change in the room when she recoiled slightly. "Sorry," she muttered.

He frowned and leaned against the counter. "What's going on?"

"I'm always tired," she sighed.

"Well, it's not going to be any different once the kid gets here. You know that, right?" he chuckled.

"Shut up," Alice said, tossing a dishtowel at him. It hit him in the chest and fell to the floor. "I'm just cranky and fat and…tired," she repeated, "I want to meet this kid and ask it why I have such horrible heartburn and stretch marks and smother it with love, okay?"

"Okay," he replied, bending down to pick up the dishtowel. He took a cautious step across his kitchen and Alice touched his arm gently. "Thanks for helping me," Edward told her with a kiss to the top of her head.

"You're welcome," Alice answered softly.

They were quiet for a moment, until she decided to speak again.

"She's nice, right?"

"Yeah, she's nice." Edward smiled.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't."

"But if you do…"

"I've got a good feeling, Alice," he explained.

Alice snorted quietly, and Edward shook his head.

"It's different. Leah's different. You'll see."

"Okay. But I'm not going to like her just yet," his sister grumbled.

Edward sighed. "She helped me walk again, Al."

"Don't make me feel guilty about being irrational, Edward! I am pregnant and emotional and will do what I want!" she cried, and Edward couldn't contain his laughter.

"Okay, you little tyrant, jeez."

"I just want you to be happy, Edward," she said softly.

"I know. Me too."

"Okay, okay. I'll leave you to get ready, then." Alice gave him a quick hug, but Edward frowned at his sister.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" He rubbed a hand over his t-shirt.

Alice just shook her head and tugged Edward into his bedroom. "Okay, the blind guy doesn't get to dress himself before a date anymore…" she muttered as she handed him a shirt.

He took it, rolling the fabric between his fingertips.

"Is this the sweater you bought me for Christmas?"

"Yes. It's green, it'll make your eyes pop," she said brightly.

Edward sighed. "It's still summer."

"Don't you want to look nice for the doctor lady?"

"Fine," he whined, yanking off his t-shirt and pulling the sweater on.

"Should I brush your hair for you, too?"

"Get out, crazy pregnant lady."

Alice left after that, giggling on her way out the door. Edward ran a hand over his hair even though he knew it would be no use. He took the time after Alice left to calm his nerves and try to wrap his head around the fact that Leah was on her way to his apartment.

He had tried hard not to think about his former relationship in the past couple weeks, but Alice's comments had made him wonder. Edward knew how different Leah and Bella were, but he still found himself comparing them at times, no matter how much he tried not to. Leah was strong and independent, she didn't take any of Edward's shit and he loved that. Bella was always letting him get away with stuff and trying to take care of him...well, until she wasn't worried about him at all anymore.

He shook his head and, luckily, he didn't have much time to think about because Leah was knocking at the door and was in his arms before his thoughts could be fully formed.

His hands settled on her waist and he buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply. It was his favorite way to greet her. She was wearing jeans this time, a tight-fitting top, and smelled so good that he had to pull away before he did something stupid.

"Quite a welcome you've got there," she laughed breathlessly.

"I'm just happy you showed up," he quipped and closed he door behind her.

She laughed again, quieter this time, and slipped her hand into his.

"Well, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**I've been all kinds of fail lately, sorry about that. Thanks for reading! **

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Sixteen

"Are you cold?" Edward asked, and pulled his arm tighter around Leah.

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

"You've got goosebumps," he assessed while his fingers trailed up her arm and his lips met her shoulder.

"Not because I'm cold," she murmured and he chuckled against her skin.

"Okay."

Leah smiled and caught her hand in his, settling back against him and resting her feet on the coffee table in front of them. They were on his couch after dinner: wine was poured, music was playing, and every once in a while Edward would sing softly to a song on the easy listening channel, because he felt like being cheesy. Leah would laugh, though she secretly enjoyed hearing him.

"What do your parents do?" she asked quietly while she examined the lines of his palm.

"My mom's an interior designer. Dad's a surgeon."

"Are they still together?"

Edward nodded. "Married thirty-five years last month."

"Hm," was all she responded with.

"What?"

"It's just nice to hear, I guess."

"They're disgustingly in love," he said with another kiss to her skin, causing her to giggle quietly. "Always have been. It was embarrassing to see as a child."

"I loved seeing my parents together," Leah whispered. "Mom always looked at Dad like he was the only person in the world."

Edward smiled and leaned his cheek against her hair, listening to her talk about her parents a little more. Her voice changed when she talked about her family, and it was one of the things that he'd begun to like most about her. It was soft and reverent, as opposed to her excited rush of words when she talked about work. At that moment, she was practically whispering, and he almost had to strain to hear her.

"Part of me wishes that Dad would find someone else, though. Is that horrible?"

He shrugged, "You just want him to be happy."

"I don't want him to lose himself in taking care of Seth. And Seth doesn't want that either."

"I feel his pain," Edward admitted quietly. "Seth's, I mean. It's a fine line between needing help and being needy."

"You're so strong, though," Leah muttered as she pressed her palm against his. Edward laughed and shook his head slowly, letting his nose trail the back of her neck as he breathed her in.

"I've had a lot of help, you included."

Leah smiled to herself and let her head fall back against his shoulder. She wanted to say that Edward walking into her office was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time…but they'd only been on two dates so far, so she kept it in.

"What are Seth's plans, now that he's graduated?" Edward changed the subject after a moment and Leah sighed in relief.

She turned in his arms and tucked her knees up under her, stretching out her arm to brush his hair off his forehead. It was so easy to touch him that sometimes she feared it was _too_ much. He simply smiled and leaned into her hand like he craved the contact.

"Seth wants to be a teacher. He's going to take a year off and then try community college, first. He knows that he's going to have a lot to figure out, but he's pretty determined."

"Do you think he can do it?"

"I think he can do anything," she answered.

"He's-," Edward started, but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Leah laughed as "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" started playing from the dining. Edward shook his head as he went to answer it. "Hey, Jas."

She laughed again because _of course_ it was Jasper. Her laughter was short-lived when she saw the frown on Edward's face.

"Really? She was just here?"

He paused.

"Okay, okay. Don't panic. Just do what you've got to do. I'll call everyone," another pause. "Yeah, we'll meet you at Northwest."

Edward hung up and rubbed his finger over the screen of his phone, sighing.

"Something wrong?"

"Alice's water broke," he explained. "It's…it's a little early."

"Oh! That's so exciting!" she replied, and he could tell that she was being genuine. Something about the excitement and smile in her voice. "Do we need to go…"

"If you don't mind driving me. You can just drop me off."

Leah frowned, but didn't argue. A few minutes later Edward was running his hands over the leather of her car seats, smiling.

"What kind of car is this?"

She blushed, "A BMW M3."

"Fancy," he laughed. "You sound embarrassed."

"I grew up driving a yellow Honda that was older than I was, it's a bit of a culture shock for me," Leah explained.

"It isn't red, is it?" Edward wrinkled his nose, and then it was her turn to laugh.

"Black."

"Okay." He grinned and held his hand out to her. She slipped her fingers into her and he lifted it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her palm. "Thank you for driving me. Do you know where Northwest is?"

Leah took a deep, shuddering breath, not quite sure why the contact took her breath away.

"Yeah, I know where to go."

While Leah drove, Edward called his family, and by the time they'd reached the hospital she'd made up her mind to stay with him. There wasn't anything she was trying to prove to his family, she simply wanted to spend the time with him.

"You're sure about this? They can be a lot of…" He gestured helplessly with his hands, trying to sum up his family.

"I've met most of them, Edward," she laughed. "They're not bad."

He made a noise in the back of his throat but didn't argue with her. Instead, he took her hand and pulled her to his side as they walked up to the hospital. They found Emmett and Rosalie already in the cramped waiting room. Emmett's face lit up at the sight of Leah, so she glared at him, just because.

"Hey, Doc. Nice to see you," he greeted her, as he punched his brother in the shoulder as if congratulating him.

"Ow," Edward muttered, frowning at his brother. "A little warning, man."

"Sorry, I forget sometimes," Emmett answered sheepishly.

"That I'm blind? You dick." Edward shook his head, but he was smiling. Leah squeezed his hand.

"How about I go get us some coffee? I have a feeling we might be here for a while," she said before letting go.

"Yeah, Alice does things in her own time," Rosalie teased as she joined them and turned to Leah. "I'll go with you."

"Behave," Emmett stage-whispered to his wife. Edward could almost see her roll her eyes and wave her hand dismissively at them.

"My husband thinks I'm going to try to scare you away, but I'm not that bitchy, okay?" Rosalie smirked and Leah gave her a little smile.

"Well, I don't scare that easily," she replied with a shrug.

Rosalie's smirk became a full-blown grin and she gave Leah an appreciative nod.

"Good. Edward needs someone who doesn't scare easily."

She said it simply, nonchalantly, but Leah knew she meant it more. Edward didn't need someone who ran away, she knew that. But he also didn't need someone to take care of him.

He needed a partner.

And, even though the thought _did_ frighten her a little bit, Leah wanted to be that partner.

It was strange for her to think that she was already to that stage of their relationship. But the months that they had spent together working on his recovery seemed to ignite something in her that she'd never felt before. They were good together, and it was that simple. She already knew his strengths and weaknesses, and hers were not something she tried to hide.

Their relationship wasn't something that felt forced, it felt natural to her: like breathing.

Leah didn't even worry that she was a rebound.

"Wow, you are seriously thinking over there," Rosalie acknowledged once they reached the cafeteria.

Leah chuckled quietly.

"I just agree with you, that's all."

"Well, you should."

They bought four cups of coffee and set out back to the waiting room making small talk. Leah asked about Chloe, whom she had yet to meet, and Rosalie explained that she was at a neighbor's house, angry that she was missing the birth of her new cousin.

"She's three going on thirteen, I think," she explained as they entered the waiting room. Leah laughed, but stopped seeing Edward's mother and a handsome blond man who had to be Edward's father. His parents looked so young that it was hard to believe they had three adult children.

"Oh! Dr. Clearwater!" Edward's mother cried, and quickly went to greet her. "How lovely to see you here!"

Edward's face resembled a deer in the headlights, and Leah quickly realized that he hadn't mentioned to his mother that he was now dating his physical therapist.

"Well…" she started, but Edward was quickly at her side with his arm slipping around her waist.

"She's with me, Mom. We were having dinner when Jasper called," he explained. Comprehension dawned on his mother's face and then she smiled warmly.

"Lovely," she said softly, and Leah felt herself relax. "Carlisle's been dying to meet the person who got Edward back on his feet."

"I did a lot of the work too, you know," Edward grumbled, and Leah elbowed him lightly. He chuckled and kissed her head, which only made Esme smile wider.

A moment later she was being introduced to Carlisle and realizing just where Edward's sense of ease came from…and obviously his looks. She couldn't help but notice how his eyes crinkled in the corner just like Edward's and how perfectly shaped his lips were.

"Esme's told me about you. Well, what she knows of course. I trust Edward is being a gentleman," Carlisle said with a wink.

"Really, Dad?"

Carlisle opened his mouth to respond, but Jasper burst into the room looking harried but bright-eyed. They went to him and listened as he talked about Alice's progress and Leah smiled. She had had plenty of contact with Jasper and his quietness, but now she could practically see the excitement rolling off his body.

He disappeared after that, and Leah pulled Edward to a loveseat in the corner of the room, then brought him a cup of coffee.

"This isn't how I planned our night, you know." Edward gave her a small smile, but Leah shrugged.

"It's okay."

"You don't mind that we're stuck in a hospital right now?"

"Nope…I'm with you."

Edward smiled and leaned forward, touching her cheek softly before dipping his head and kissing her…in front of his entire family.

"I guess every situation has a plus side, huh?"

Leah laughed and nodded before kissing him again.

"I think so."

xXx

It was almost two o'clock in the morning when Jasper came back into the waiting room, looking tired but grinning broadly.

"I have a son," he announced as the family surrounded him. Leah hung back, watching him hug everyone and spit out stats about the baby, until he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Congrats," she whispered. He just grinned and kissed her cheek, before turning to Edward.

"Alice would like to see you first," he said quietly, "you can come, too," he told Leah.

They nodded and followed Jasper out of the waiting room. Edward squeezed her hand and smiled, looking elated at meeting his nephew. The three of them were hardly in the room before a tiny bundle was placed in Edward's arms. Leah stood back and watched as he cradled the baby in one hand and Jasper took his other hand and helped Edward run his fingers over the baby's tiny features.

"We wanted you to see him first," Alice said softly.

Edward nodded, too overcome to say anything else, and Leah felt her throat tighten.

"His name is Ethan, after Jasper's dad," she continued. "Ethan Anthony."

Edward grinned hearing that, his eyes shifting from his sister's direction to his best friend's.

"That's a good name," he said thickly.

"Will you be his godfather?" Jasper asked, and Edward nodded silently.

Leah stepped closer after that, settling herself at Edward's side and peering over his shoulder.

"He's perfect," she said, smiling at Alice.

"Yeah, we think so," she teased with a tired grin.

It was a few more minutes before they left the room, said goodbye to Edward's family, and found themselves in the hospital elevator.

Edward was quiet, basking in the glow of his new nephew, and Leah couldn't seem to get image of him holding the baby out of her mind.

"They named him after you," she said softly.

He turned to her and smiled. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I read your file, Edward Anthony Cullen."

"Stalker," he muttered in a sing-song voice.

Leah laughed and wrapped her arms around his, resting her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head, just as the elevator doors opened. She pulled him out by the hand, feeling awake despite the time wondering what they could do at two in the morning. Then she remembered that they had jobs, responsibilities, and-

"Cooper!" she cried, suddenly. "I forgot about him!"

Edward stopped walking, pulling her hand back. "What's that? You have another boyfriend?"

"No, he's my dog! And did you just call yourself my boyfriend?"

"I think so? You have a dog?" he asked.

"Yes. Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"What is this, fourth grade, check yes or no?" Edward's eyebrow lifted in amusement. "Do you want me to be?"

She grinned and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his lips quick and hard.

"Is that a yes?"

"Only if you stop asking questions," she said against his mouth.

Edward laughed and took her face in his hands.

"I can do that."


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Thanks. XOXO **

**:)**

* * *

Blind Ambition – Chapter Seventeen

"Want me to lock up?" Jasper asked from behind Edward, who was leaning against the counter, looking lost.

"No, I'm waiting for Leah. I'll do it when she gets here," he said as he ran a hand nervously through his hair, making it stick up in weird places.

"You okay? You seem kind of off."

"I'm fine, I'm just…" Edward trailed off and shrugged.

"Really into the doc, huh?"

He smiled. "Something like that."

Jasper gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, she's really into you, too. Trust me. I know people."

"I know you do," Edward sighed. "Give Ethan a high-five from his Uncle Edward, will you?"

"More like a high-one, man. His hand is minuscule," Jasper replied, and Edward could actually hear the "proud dad" smile in his voice. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you," Edward said, just before he heard the back door to the store close. He took a step toward the front door, but stopped, hearing the bell ringing as it opened and the noise from the street.

He was expecting Leah, but the perfume that blew in his directions wasn't hers, nor was the voice that greeted him.

"Hi," Bella said quietly.

Edward's body seemed to go rigid at the thought of her being there in front of him. It had been months since he'd had any contact with her and he had, truthfully, not thought about her since he started dating Leah.

"What are you doing here?" he asked sharply, still rooted to the spot. Anger felt like it was rolling over his skin, so he took a deep breath. He didn't want her to think that her presence was affecting him in any way; she'd simply caught him off guard.

_Water under the bridge_, he thought.

"I, um…I just wanted to see how you were."

Edward rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, knowing that she hated them and that she probably knew he was rolling his eyes.

"I'm fine," he replied, before turning away and carefully, albeit quickly, striding to the back room.

He could hear her footsteps behind him and noted how they had changed, much like Alice's had when she was farther along. The thought of her being pregnant and happy brought back memories of the night they split up and his chest started to ache.

"I was just locking up and leaving, actually," Edward muttered.

"Where's Jasper?" Her voice was soft, and she was closer than he thought. No matter how much he thought it was _water under the bridge_, it still hurt.

"He's gone. I'm a big boy, Bella," Edward snapped.

"I'm sorry, I know. I was just wondering."

Edward sighed and slipped his messenger bag over his head before he grabbed his cane from the side of it. His phone was in his pocket and he grabbed it, intent on calling Leah as soon as he was out the door.

"He's only working a few days a week now that Ethan's here," he explained as nonchalantly as he could. Edward knew how close Bella and Alice always had been. He also knew no one called her to let her know Alice had gone into labor.

"Alice had the baby?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. He's three weeks old."

"Congratulations. I bet everyone is excited."

Edward cocked his head to one side, wishing he could make out her expression. She sounded sad, like she was regretting missing out on something, but he couldn't find it in himself to feel sorry for her.

"Emmett came home, too."

"Yeah, I knew he would be," she said, and then paused. "Are you…still seeing Dr. Clearwater?"

"…What do you mean?" he asked warily, before turning away from her and making his way back to the front of the store.

"Your physical therapy? Are you finished?"

"Oh," Edward blew out a sigh of relief. "Yeah. I'm finished," he answered, and immediately felt guilty. Not for not being honest with Bella, but for not being honest _for_ Leah. Their relationship was nothing he was ashamed of, and it hadn't started until long after he and Bella had split, so there was nothing to hide.

"Actually-" he started to explain, but stopped when the door opened again. This time the perfume was familiar, the footsteps were light, and his whole attitude changed just knowing she was in the room with him. "Hey."

"Hi. Are you ready?" Leah asked, taking a step toward him. She stopped suddenly, though, seeing Bella already at his side. She shot a questioning look at her boyfriend and, even though he couldn't see it, but Leah was pretty sure he felt it, because he shrugged.

"Oh. _Oh!_" Bella said before giving a hollow, brittle laugh. "Seriously?"

"It's great to see you, Bella. You're really carrying that baby weight well," Leah said coolly before slipping her hand into Edward's free one.

Edward held his breath, waiting for his ex to respond, and not expecting Leah to have actually said anything. He definitely underestimated her.

"Thanks. I should go. Good for you, Edward," Bella said through her clenched teeth.

He gave her a nod and waited for the door to close before he exhaled, slumping.

"Well, that's not what I was expecting," Leah murmured and let go of Edward's hand.

"I didn't know she was…uh…" Edward simply stopped talking, not being able to find the words to explain what had happened. He still wasn't very sure of it himself.

"Oh, shut up," Leah said with a laugh, just before she threw her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his mouth.

"I can do that," he laughed against her lips. He kissed her back, cupping her face as he did, enjoying the way her body curved against his as she pulled herself closer.

"That was a little awkward, I'm sorry," Edward whispered once she pulled away.

"It's okay. You can just make it up to me later." Leah grinned, kissed his cheek, and took his hand. She pulled him out the door before he had a chance to respond.

Edward flushed and fumbled with his keys at the thought of her making things up to him, but Leah just laughed and kissed his cheek again. Edward shook his head and held out his elbow, waiting for her to lead him away from the store. Neither one of them spoke while they walked.

"What did she want?" Leah finally asked, so quietly Edward had to strain to hear it.

"To see if I was okay," he answered with a shrug.

"Are you?"

"What? Okay? Yeah, I'm okay." Edward stopped and took her face in his hands. He kissed her forehead and pulled her into his arms, feeling her sigh against him. "Totally more than okay."

Leah touched his cheek gently as she pulled away and slipped her arm through his once more.

"Works for me," she replied.

"What's on the agenda tonight?" Edward asked when he slipped into Leah's car.

"Me and you."

"Sounds nice." He smiled and leaned his head against the back of the seat.

Edward couldn't help but notice how quiet Leah was on the drive to her house. He knew it had something to do with Bella showing up at his store, but he wasn't sure just how to approach the subject. It would have helped if he'd been able to see her face and read her reaction. Of course, unless he got a miracle, that wasn't going to happen.

Instead he sighed and rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. Just as he opened his mouth to speak he felt the car slow down and down, then turn off completely.

"We're here?"

"Yes, sir." Leah reached over and patted his hand that rested on his leg. Edward frowned, frustrated that he'd finally worked up the courage and now he'd lost his moment.

Once he was out of the car, Leah took his hand and led her up her front steps and into her house. The house smelled like fall spices and Edward could hear the rushed _click click click _of the dog's nails on the hardwood floor as he rushed to greet them.

"Hey, buddy," Leah cooed quietly as he let go of Edward's hand. A moment later he heard tags jingling and felt a soft nudge at his thigh, and Leah took his wrist. "He's just sniffing you. You want to pet him?"

"Yeah, of course," he answered, and let Leah guide his hand to scratch Cooper behind the ears. The dog immediately fell to the floor and flopped onto his back, waiting for his belly to be rubbed. Edward knelt to oblige him, and Leah laughed.

"I'm going to change while Cooper tells you how abused he is," she said with a kiss to the top of Edward's head.

He nodded, then slipped off his sunglasses and tucked them into the collar of his t-shirt, blinking and trying to make out his surroundings: it was like watching television with horrible reception. It wasn't long before he heard Leah's footsteps coming around the corner, and then falter. Edward stood up quickly and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just…you hardly ever take those off," she said, as she went to him and slipped her arm around his waist. "I like it."

Edward gave her a soft smile and dipped his head, so she met him in a kiss halfway. She was expecting something sweet and quick, and was not expecting the way his arms were suddenly around her or the vigor in which he was kissing her.

Not that she was complaining.

He cupped her face as he pulled away, his eyes closed and his face still close.

"You're being very serious right now, Edward." Leah's tone was worried so he smiled.

"You know I'm crazy about you, right?"

"I think so. Is that what you're trying to prove right now?" she asked and slipped her arms around his neck.

"No," he smiled. "It's just…" Edward sighed and gripped her hips, trying to steady himself. "This is different than anything I've ever known, okay?"

"Okay."

"I've never _not_ been able to see someone and have these _feelings_ for them. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," she whispered.

"What I'm trying to say is: I don't think I've ever truly felt this way. Not really, anyways. And the fact is that all I have is a blurry outline of you and the picture in my head scares me, but I'm just…really okay with that. Really."

Leah was quiet as she took in his words. His hands were tight on her skin; his body was so close she could practically feel his warmth. He was there in her house, in her arms…he was hers.

"Please say something," he pleaded quietly.

"I love you, too, Edward."


End file.
